The Heart Of A Demon
by thespaceygirl
Summary: Slowly, Sesshomaru approached the rims of the bone eater's well and stared into it. A slight chill settled over him as he saw that the bottom of the well was empty, minus some old, pale bones. Had he hallucinated? Sesshomaru immediately denied this thought. He, the Great Sesshomaru, did not hallucinate. Still…how was it that the girl was gone?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Unexpected

Sesshomaru's marigold eyes pierced through the acres of plain lands before him, leaving no area unturned. The tall grass flowed with the wind's breeze, which was something Sesshomaru was uneasy with. Rin and Jaken sat atop the two headed Ah-Un, chattering about trivial things that Sesshomaru didn't bother tuning into. The scent of poison and corpses blew in the wind, causing Sesshomaru to stop in his tracks. Ah-Un loyally waited as well.

Rin turned her head to Sesshomaru, noticing the stopped movement. "What is it, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Wait here." He replied, taking a step forward. Then he lunged forward at blinding speed, and appeared back where he had first stopped in a mere five seconds. His sword was unsheathed and bloodied, but his posture and expression remained as calm as ever. Rin and Jaken were awestruck as they witnessed in the distance a massive severed spider demon, which had been using the length and thickness of the prairie grass as a hiding place for its deadly trap.

"Lord Sesshomaru, that was incredible!" Rin praised, causing Jaken to stomp his small green foot in annoyance. "Of course it was, Rin! We can expect nothing less from our lord!"

It was irritating when Jaken was constantly a kiss-ass, but Sesshomaru always tolerated him anyway. "Let's keep moving."

Sesshomaru's long silvery hair flowed down his back gracefully as they continued through the wheat. His deep purple youkai markings made him look exotic, and his aura reeked "power". Every creature feared him; even the notorious Naraku. The only people to ever trust him were Rin and Jaken, and Sesshomaru honestly didn't know why. Both of them had _chosen_ to follow Sesshomaru of their own free will, putting their lives into his hands. This pure, innocent trust obligated Sesshomaru to hold true to their confidence in him, and protect them from harm. Soon the plains began to turn rocky, and eventually lead to a mountain-like terrain. Sesshomaru spotted a dark opening in the grey rock, leading Ah-Un's reigns towards it. The cave was larger than he thought as he neared the entrance, and he paused to stare into the shadows. No life existed within the cave minus a few bats and insects, Sesshomaru determined.

"We can rest here." Sesshomaru said to his two companions, leading Ah-Un through the cave. He sensed Rin shiver from the cool air in the cave, and took off his long tail of fluff to wrap around Rin. Though the cave was pitch black in Rin's human eyes, Sesshomaru could see well due to his youkai abilities and saw her smile from his act of generosity.

"Are you sure it's safe in here?" Jaken gulped, trying not to sound frightened. Sesshomaru didn't answer him; he had no need to, since his judgment was law.

"I'm going out. Rest if you wish." The cave was mostly being used as shelter for just Rin and Jaken. His followers inconvenienced Sesshomaru from being able to move as freely and as quickly as he wished. Moving at top speeds at a consistent rate would distress Rin. Flight was still used in many cases since Ah-Un could keep up with Sesshomaru, but Sesshomaru always had to hold back from his nearly invisible speeds for the sake of his human follower. But now, he did not have to.

Meanwhile, Kagome strolled through the forest towards the well that could transport her to her home 500 years into the future. Inuyasha and the others had offered to walk her there themselves, but Kagome insisted she would be fine by herself. Her four friends seemed busy helping old Kaede repair the village from a recent youkai attack, and Kagome felt that that was more important than seeing her off to the well. She was a priestess, after all, and she could purify any youkai that tried to harm her. Kagome reached the small clearing in the forest where the wooden, square well was located. Her hands clutched onto one of the well's wood rims as she looked into the deep pit below. It would be nice visit home for a bit, Kagome thought. But she mainly was going home to gather more supplies from her time. Her leg lifted onto the side of the well as she prepared to make the jump, but a flash of white caught her eye. Baffled, Kagome surveyed the area, only to find the least expected thing she could imagine. Inuyasha's intimidating older brother, Sesshomaru, stood as still as a fence a short distance away. Kagome blinked twice, dumbfounded, to make sure she wasn't seeing things. But he was still there, staring back at her with the same blank expression he always seemed to carry.

Sesshomaru was actually quite surprised to come across the same girl that was always in the presence of his soft hearted half brother. However, the stench of Inuyasha was nowhere around this time. The miko's large brown eyes met his with obvious puzzlement, but she made no attempt at speaking. The girl stood across from Sesshomaru with her hands clutched to the side of the well, like she was about to jump into it. This was odd, considering the long drop into the well would likely break her human ankles. What was this girl doing? A flicker of anger arose in Sesshomaru after he realized he was actually putting thought into the matter. He shouldn't give a damn one way or the other. He demolished the shred of curiosity he had had about the raven haired girl's actions.

"Humph." He grunted as he coldly turned his back on her and began walking away. He wasn't sure why he bothered to stop in the first place.

Kagome felt incredibly confused about Sesshomaru's random appearance and slightly insulted at his arrogant departure, but he was gone now and she considered herself lucky that he didn't approach her. She knew Sesshomaru's hatred for his brother was deeply rooted in his heart, and he could have attacked her to make Inuyasha vulnerable. The one thing she couldn't understand was why Sesshomaru had lingered for even a moment. Kagome shook her head as if to shake the thoughts out of her head. '_There's no use pouring over this incident, because nothing happened._' She convinced herself. And with that, she jumped into the well and vanished into the blackness.

Sesshomaru crept out from behind the large tree he had been spying from. For some reason the curiosity he tried to oppose had grown, and he saw no harm in merely observing her silently for a moment. And after what he witnessed, he could not believe his eyes...or ears. The girl had jumped into the well; and he had not yet heard her hit the ground. His sharply tuned ears most definitely would have detected it. Slowly, Sesshomaru approached the rims of the well and stared into it. A slight chill settled over him as he saw that the bottom of the well was empty, minus some old, pale bones. Had he hallucinated? Sesshomaru immediately denied this thought. He, the Great Sesshomaru, did not hallucinate. Still…how was it that the girl was gone? Her priestess powers were no longer sensed, but her light floral scent was still in the air and it trailed into the well. Upon impulse he leapt into the opening, the hard ground floor zooming closer at a rapid speed. Within moments he found himself at the bottom; in the middle of four long walls with no way of escape besides the opening he'd jumped in from. Dissatisfied, Sesshomaru levitated back to the top. _How_? This just didn't make sense, and Sesshomaru _hated _questions he did not know the answer to. Still, the young miko had managed to capture his attention in the most peculiar way, without even realizing it.

'_Interesting._'

Several days had passed since Sesshomaru witnessed Kagome's disappearance into the well. Much to Sesshomaru's dismay, he was monitoring the Bone Eaters well closely and elusively. Something just wasn't right when a mere human could perplex a full blooded youkai like himself. Why was she able to vanish into the well but he, the Great Sesshomaru, could not? Then a thought crossed his mind. Perhaps Inuyasha knows the secret to her disappearance...after all, she had been gone for days now and Sesshomaru had not once seen his pathetic brother or his friends in search of Kagome. If they didn't know of this mystery, they would certainly be concerned for Kagome's well being.

Sesshomaru did not want to go to his moronic half brother to find out, but the inquisitiveness ate at him like a virus. Why did he _care _so damn much? Why couldn't he just let it go? Sesshomaru realized how clenched his jaw had become and loosened it.

Suddenly, a familiar floral scent appeared in the air, and movements were heard in the direction of the well. Sure enough, when Sesshomaru turned his head, a black haired girl in her usual strange clothing was now standing beside the well. She sucked in a sharp gasp, surprised at Sesshomaru's presence, and stumbled back and accidently fell on her butt. Sesshomaru almost wanted to laugh. Almost.

Sesshomaru's golden eyes narrowed at the girl and he make a movement toward her.

"W-wait!" She cried out in fear, holding her hand out as if she were magically creating a stop sign. But Sesshomaru ignored her and instead pulled her up by her wrist firmly. "What…" he moved his body closer to hers to intimidate her. "Is in that well?"

"W-well, you know, there's bones and…I like fossils?" She stammered, failing horribly at covering her secret up. His eyes pierced into hers sharply, causing her to lose her ability to lie. She absolutely had _not _predicted that Sesshomaru would be here. Had been awaiting her return? Shit…he must have been watching her. This was not good.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "You must have a better explanation than that, miko." His deep voice sounded almost mocking. Kagome thought she saw a hint of a smirk on his lips, but she couldn't be sure.

"How dare you spy on me! It's none of your business!" She yelled, trying to yank her wrist out of Sesshomaru's powerful hand. It was no use.

Sesshomaru smelled Inuyasha on his way, and he was not in the mood for conflict with him today. However he wanted to know Kagome's secret, and he _would_ know. But for now, he would depart.

"You _will _tell me the truth, miko. But I'll give you some time to come up with a better excuse." And with that, Sesshomaru released her and whirred away into the sky.

'_What the hell was that?' _Kagome plopped down onto the grass in disbelief. Spied on, and practically assaulted by Sesshomaru…how could she have been so stupid? To jump into the well only moments after seeing Sesshomaru; she should've waited until she was 100% sure he wasn't around. Stupid, stupid, stupid. The problem now was that Sesshomaru was going to come back eventually, and she needed to have an answer for him. Without one, Kagome feared the consequence. Normally she was pretty fearless against youkai, but Sesshomaru was different. He was unbelievably powerful and he had great potential to kill her friends. What was she supposed to say to him? Oh, I can travel 500 years into the future, where I'm originally from! Yeah, right. He'd think she was lying again.

"Hey, you're back," a figure appeared out of the forest, which Kagome immediately recognized as Inuyasha.

"Oh, hey! I brought back some things you might-"

"Was Sesshomaru here!?" Inuyasha flared, cutting her off in mid sentence and searching their surroundings wildly. Kagome gulped, unsure of what to say.

"N-no, of course not. Why?" She lied. She wasn't exactly sure why she was lying to Inuyasha about Sesshomaru.

"His scent is all over the place!" Inuyasha growled, his eyebrows pinched together tightly.

"Calm down, Inuyasha. He was probably just passing through." She placed her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to help him relax. Big mistake.

"Your hand…" he pulled it to his face and sniffed, "smells like Sesshomaru." He turned his eyes instantly to her face. She remembered how Sesshomaru had held her wrist to interrogate her.

"He must have been here earlier and my wrist must have touched something he had touched," She hated lying like this, but she felt it might be better to leave Inuyasha out of this. He'd probably try to seek out Sesshomaru and attack him…and Kagome didn't want Inuyasha to get hurt.

Inuyasha stood silent for a minute, considering this possibility. "I guess it makes sense…" He said suspiciously. "You honestly didn't see him, did you?"

"No, I didn't."

Inuyasha shrugged. "If you say so, but I wonder what the likes of Sesshomaru was doing here. He has no reason to come by."

"Yeah, that's weird, huh?" Kagome said with a small, hesitant laugh.

"Listen, you need to be more careful out here. If Sesshomaru is around, something isn't right. So stay by my side." Inuyasha's dog ears remained alert as he walked her back to Kaede's village.

* * *

**I'M BACK. After a LONG absence on my old account (littlebellbunny), I've returned to fanfiction, and I'm rewriting this old story. The old version of this has been deleted. I missed writing! I will be updating chapter 2 within two weeks, so look forward to it! And remember, reviews are majorly appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Confrontation

The stars were shining brightly in the sky along with the crescent moon. Rin and Jaken slept peacefully in the depths of the rocky cave while Sesshomaru watched the skies. Unfortunately, he could not sleep, for he was too busy planning his next encounter with the miko; _without_ the presence of the half-blood, the demon slayer, the monk, and the young fox demon. The group always traveled with Kagome, so there weren't many times when she was alone. He was lucky to have stumbled upon her alone in the first place.

But the one thing that was really bothering him was that he was thinking…about Kagome. His thoughts, no matter how hard he tried, kept veering back to her. He hadn't noticed before how her eyes expressed her emotions. And he _hated_ that he had noticed. Every time he thought of Kagome…it made him want to kill something cute and cuddly. Something in the air caught Sesshomaru's attention, and he was glad for a distraction. It was the scent of graveyard soil, dead souls…and Inuyasha. Oh, how he wanted to drain that filthy blood from his body. Sesshomaru stood up and concealed his presence from being detected, and silently followed the scents.

Not too far from the cave was a wide river, with a small dock for boats. This was where Sesshomaru found Inuyasha. The half-blood was mumbling quietly with a woman, and Sesshomaru recognized her. This was the woman that weakened his brother's heart, the one that had been resurrected from the dead. Kikyo, he remembered. He had crossed paths with her once or twice in his journeys. He never liked the dead priestess much; she was barely a living shell with a thirst for revenge. His brother's face looked pleading and pained as he talked with Kikyo. But Kikyo had on a tightly formed mask hid her emotions. However, Sesshomaru could sense her feelings of conflict and want. Sesshomaru could tell his brother was becoming frustrated with Kikyo...she was pushing him away and his Inuyasha couldn't bear it. Suddenly, Inuyasha quickly filled every inch of space there was between himself and Kikyo, catching her thin body around the waist an embrace, and kissed her passionately. '_He's such a fool.'_ Sesshomaru thought with disgust.

Then, something dawned on Sesshomaru. If Inuyasha was here with the dead soil girl, then he wasn't with Kagome. Sesshomaru silently slipped away from the spot he had been watching from and went off through the moonlit woods to find Kagome. There was still the problem of her other friends, but they we're much easier to deal with than Inuyasha. Maybe he would be lucky like he was last time…just maybe.

He quickly reached Kaede's village, where he knew Kagome was staying at because he could smell her scent. He had memorized it; it was similar to the sweet smell of honeysuckles in bloom. As he approached the village, he stopped to observe which hut Kagome was located in. To his surprise, he found she wasn't in any of them. She was _past _the village. Why wasn't she in her home at this hour? She obviously wasn't very bright, leaving herself vulnerable to demons with no protection, especially since she knew he would come to find her again. Sesshomaru felt agitated at her stupidity. He made his way around the village and followed the pull of Kagome's priestess aura. The further he traveled to find her, the more agitated he grew. But finally, he found her.

"Inuyasha?" She was calling, searching blindly through the thick forest. "Damn it, Inuyasha where the hell are you?"

Ah. So she was in search of the filthy half blood. Sesshomaru pitied her, but he had come to find her and he had, so it was time to get down to business. "Miko," he called as he appeared behind her.

Instantly Kagome pivoted around to face him, her eyes momentarily terrified from surprise. Sesshomaru kept a straight face as her surprise wore off and quickly changed to anger. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" She made an attempt to hit him, but he dodged her arm all too easily. Kagome shivered as she fully saw Sesshomaru. His long silver hair glowed in the moon and the markings on his cheeks appeared darker in the night. His eyes were like a wolf's; luminous yellow and intense. He was extremely intimidating, partly because he was an extremely powerful and mysterious youkai, and partly because he was breathtakingly good looking. Although Kagome would _never_ admit that out loud…

"I hope you have an answer for me now," He stepped closer to Kagome. She backed up several steps in response. "Tell me how you were able to disappear into that well. How were you able to, and where did you disappear to?"

"It doesn't concern you," She murmured, her brown eyes staring away from Sesshomaru.

"It does concern me. I took interest in the incident, therefore it concerns me."

"Just because you took interest in the matter doesn't make it your business!" She replied angrily.

"Miko," Sesshomaru said firmly, "Everything I _want_ to be my business _is _my business," He moved forward to her again, and she stepped back further. Her back bumped into a tree stump, and Sesshomaru advanced to merely a few inches from her body. He grabbed both of her wrists and pinned her to the tree, leaving her helpless. He could feel her blood racing through her pulse, and the apprehension rise in her. Her pink lip quivered and her cheeks flushed red from…stress? He wasn't quite sure, but that made the most logical sense. She was still not looking at him. And he did not like this.

"Look at me," he ordered, his voice harsh. She refused. He released one of her wrists and instead cupped her jaw, forcing her to meet eyes with him. Her deep brown eyes expressed that same stubborn, feisty attitude she seemed to always have. "If you refuse me," he continued, "then I shall have no choice but to attack one of your dearly cherished friends…perhaps the small fox demon?" He would do what he must in order to get the response he wanted. Sudden fear spread through Kagome, giving Sesshomaru certain superior advantage over the situation.

"You wouldn't!" She yelled, yanking her face away from his hand. The fury in her tone pleased him; for he knew he had hit her soft spot. Her friends were her weakness.

"I assure you I would," He confirmed, giving her a stare that told her he was not bluffing.

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me." She looked away from him once more. She was on the edge of breaking, he could tell. Any moment now, she would begin. She opened her mouth and sucked in a breath. Ah, it would begin now.

"I can teleport through time by the means of that well. I live 500 years in the future, and I can travel back in time to this era whenever I please." She said quietly, still not meeting eyes with the youkai. She was too afraid to see his reaction. Sesshomaru detected no lie from her, which Sesshomaru now desperately wished he did. This was something he had not prepared for; the answer. Yes, he had wanted one, but now that he had one, and one so bizarre by the way, he didn't know what to do with it.

"Well, are you satisfied?" She glared at him fiercely.

Good question; was he? "…No. This Sesshomaru wants to know why you, a mere human, can enter that portal, while I, the great Sesshomaru, cannot."

"I could have sworn you would have known by now, but I guess not. I'm the reincarnation of Kikyo, who died fifty years ago. It was the power of the sacred jewel that allowed me to come here in the first place. And now, I can travel between both worlds."

Hm. No, he had not heard that. He had noticed how Kagome and Kikyo shared a slightly similar physical appearance, but he thought nothing of it. How could he have not known all this time?

"I had not heard about this. Tell me, what is in this future? And also, I assume Inuyasha knows, but why do you come to this era? You are not needed here," He gave her a cold look. She hung her head low and to the side, now deep in thought.

"You're right, I guess I'm not," She whispered, as if to herself. Her normally lit up eyes were becoming dim. He could sense her growing depressed inside, and it bothered him.

"Stop feeling sad. It's an annoyance." He growled, releasing her completely and walking away. He had gotten an answer from her. He would get the details another time.

"Hold on just a minute,"

Sesshomaru felt her purifying miko power grow immensely and he half turned towards her. Kagome was giving him a hard glare that warned him to take her seriously.

"You assault me, threaten my friends for information, and expect me to just let you get away with it? You're lucky I haven't told Inuyasha yet, because I'm sure he'd tear you to pieces." Her fists were clenched.

"Oh, really? And where is your precious Inuyasha? This Sesshomaru seems to know, while you wander alone helplessly in search of him."

Kagome's stomach dropped a bit, disheartened. "How did you know I was looking for him?" She asked quietly. Sesshomaru looked away, and remained silent.

"Will you at least tell me where he is?" She was even quieter than before.

Sesshomaru knew the information he carried would hurt the girl. But she wanted the truth, and he felt he owed it to her for making her spill her secret. And he also for some reason took pleasure in the fact that this information would push Kagome further away from Inuyasha. "I noticed Inuyasha down by the river dock with Kikyo for an intimate meeting."

"Oh…" She said, depression seeping into her as if she was a sponge. Sesshomaru was again silent, watching her absorb the information. Seeing her like this compelled Sesshomaru to want to console her. Damn it, what the hell was she doing to him!? Sesshomaru fought off any emotions he had because of the miko, hardening his heart to her. He would not let her in. He refused to.

"Go home before you become some youkai's prey." His voice showed no hint of sentiment towards her and began walking away once more.

Kagome stood alone now, and she was glad she was alone, because the tears started to stream down her cheeks. Of course Inuyasha was with Kikyo, he always jumped at the chance to be with her. Kagome's heart ached, half hating Inuyasha for playing with her heart but always returning to Kikyo. She had really thought Inuyasha was beginning to choose her over Kikyo, but now she felt so naïve. She was always his second choice, never the first. Earlier, before she had left the village, she and Inuyasha had been up late by the fire while Sango, Miroku, and Shippo slept soundly. They were discussing what life might be like if they had found all the jewel shards and destroyed Naraku for good. Inuyasha had swept her dark hair behind her ear and said he would still want her coming back often to see him. She had blushed, feeling happy at his display of care. Suddenly, his dog ears perked up as though he had detected something outside. He looked at her hesitantly, and when Kagome asked what was wrong, he stood up and said he'd be back later, fleeing out of the hut. Now, Kagome realized he had sensed Kikyo passing by in the distance and left her to meet Kikyo.

Kagome held her long sleeve to her eyes, letting the fabric absorb the wetness. "Every time you do this, Inuyasha, my heart hurts so much…" She felt so weak. She knew every time he did this to her, her heart became more resistant to him. It was only a matter of time before he'd lose his chances with her completely, she decided. He didn't deserve her, and she didn't deserve to be toyed with like this. Either he wanted her or he didn't, there would be no more middle ground. She was better than this…or so she wanted to believe. Was Sesshomaru right? Was she not needed here at all? Maybe it'd be better for both herself and Inuyasha if she just went back to her era, and stayed there. Considering this, Kagome decided to go home through the well for now; she didn't want to face Inuyasha when he finally showed up again. She wasn't sure what to say to him anyway. She felt bitter, hurt, and dejected. She made her way through the dark, to the bone eater's well, and returned home.

* * *

"Lord Sesshomaru…" Rin said meekly, staring up to him with her innocent eyes. He glanced into her childish face, and looked away again.

"What is it, Rin?" He asked, with no hint of enthusiasm in his voice. He heard her sigh, and clasp her hands together.

"You've been acting strange recently…and I was just wondering why." This young child was so perceptive. She always saw right through him, down to his very soul. He hid his surprise from her, if he could even hide that.

"Don't be silly, Rin. This Sesshomaru has not changed. Perhaps you are imagining things." He suggested, fixing his gaze in the opposite direction of her small figure. Rin smiled to herself, looking straight ahead.

"Maybe," She agreed, with a secret edge to her words. Sesshomaru also allowed himself to wear a small smile. Rin, he admitted, was the cause of making him have a weakness. She was the one who had softened his impenetrable exterior, and made him _feel_. He had never cared for anything or anyone before he met her.

A teeny, tiny part of him was grateful to her. But he did loathe having a weakness. It made him vulnerable to falling; crumbling like a stone to an earthquake. And now, he was beginning to feel similar feelings toward the miko. It was not the same type of caring he had for Rin, nor the same amount of strength, and he couldn't figure out what kind of a feeling it was.

A part of him wanted to find out more about this strange feeling, but another part wanted to tear it apart and discard it as soon as possible. For the moment, he would ignore the issue at hand and just concentrate on finding Naraku. After all, he would not be journeying about if it wasn't for that lurid, pathetic mutant. He was worse than any human or demon. Even, dare he say, more of a disgrace than Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru had still not figured out what to do about the information he had obtained from the miko. It seemed downright ridiculous, and he found it hard to believe. But he had seen her eyes; their chocolate depths held no tricks. Why couldn't she have been lying? It would have been so much easier to leave the matter alone and move on with his life. A world 500 years in the future…such a thought brought many questions to his mind.

Were there still youkai in the future? There had to be humans, or else Kagome would not exist. Was the way of life any different than it was now? Well, he would know eventually, because he would still be alive by then. But what if there weren't any youkai?

Sesshomaru did not like the possibility of that very last question. No youkai…in the future? That could not be right. The thought unnerved him, which was something that didn't happen very often. This, he thought, was another reason to see the miko once more. Yesterday he had left her without giving her any indication of him returning. Though Kagome didn't know it, Sesshomaru had remained in the shadows after she thought he had gone to make sure she wasn't attacked. He saw her cry over Inuyasha and leave through the well back to her era in the future. Sesshomaru didn't know why the miko had such a strong attachment to his idiotic half brother; perhaps it was _because_ she was the incarnation of Kikyo that caused her to want his affections. Either way, she should forget about Inuyasha, that is, if she were _smart. _Sesshomaru smirked slightly.

* * *

**Soooo, I decided to update the next chapter sooner than planned, but I'm sure it made some of you happy! :) I'm writing like crazy and I love it. I can't believe how much I missed it! So how did you like this chapter, eh? Let me know by reviewing! Thanks for continuing to read!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Misfortunes

Kagome changed from her usual school uniform into something more casual. She wore a navy blue tank top and light denim shorts, which showed off her long, smooth legs. Her silky black hair was up in a messy bun, and her little pearl earrings brought a little class to her look. She was tired of feeling bent out of shape over Inuyasha; tired of waiting and wishing he would fall in love with her the way she loved him. So now, she decided she would be strong and return to the futile era. Plus, she left without anyone knowing where she went, so the others must be worried about her. She vowed to herself that things would be different from now on. She would no longer be waiting for Inuyasha; he would be her partner in finding the sacred jewel shards and semi friend and that was it. She did want to look hot when she returned though; just to torture him a little when she gave him the cold shoulder.

Kagome's mother knocked lightly on the door frame, letting her daughter know she was there. "Kagome, are you alright?" She inquired, genuinely worried. "You came home three days ago, and have been in a slump ever since." She sat down on the bed next to Kagome.

"Yeah mom, I'm okay." She wasn't really okay, but she would be. Over time.

Her mom wasn't fooled. "Is it Inuyasha?"

Gah…she hit the dog-eared nail right on the head. "Yeah…" Kagome admitted sheepishly. Her mom placed her hand on Kagome's shoulder comfortingly. Kagome gave her mom a weak smile. "I'm going back today, so I'll see you later." She said, pecked her mom's cheek, and stood up.

"Please stay safe, Kagome. Here, take this with you." Her mom held out her hand, and in her palm laid a small white crystal. Kagome picked it up and stared at it curiously; it was beautiful. "It's an ancient artifact from our shrine called the Dawnlight. Legend says it will bring you happiness. It certainly has for me." Her mother's face was warm with benevolence.

Kagome slipped it into her pocket and smiled back at her mother. "Thanks, mom. I'll be careful, don't worry." And with that, Kagome left her home and opened the door to the well. She leapt into it, free falling in the darkness until she emerged back into the futile era.

"Ugh!" She groaned as the rain began to pelt her as she climbed over the rim of the well. Great. So much for trying to look hot. Kagome broke into a run trying to escape the rain, heading back to Kaede's village. She arrived on the doorstep ten minutes later, drenched from head to toe, panting heavily.

Inuyasha swung the door open hastily. "Where the hell have you been!?" He yelled angrily, grabbing her by her shoulders. "We've been looking for you for days! The others are still out there looking for you! They told me to stay here in case you came back,"

Kagome winced. She felt bad about making Miroku, Sango, and Shippo worry. But she didn't have a damn that Inuyasha had been worried. It served him right!

"I went back home for a little while, okay!? Let go, you're hurting me!"

Inuyasha let her go and crossed his arms. "Why didn't you tell anyone where you were going? We all thought you had gotten yourself attacked!"

"I thought you would have followed my scent to the well after you came back from whatever it was you left to do! Weren't you able to follow it?" She asked, pretending like she didn't know where he had been.

The anger left Inuyasha's face and he became evasive. "I…didn't come back until yesterday morning. I had to take care of something. Your scent was washed away by then,"

Kagome felt sick to her stomach. He had been gone two days…with Kikyo. Wow. Kagome couldn't bring herself to speak again.

Inuyasha could sense her sudden change, it made him feel uneasy. "Why did you leave, Kagome? What happened?"

Kagome just shook her head. "Stay away from me, Inuyasha." She said softly, but her tone flowed with emotion.

"What? Kagome, what are you talking about?"

Her eyes became slits, burrowing into his fiercely. "I said, **stay away from me**!" She yelled, turning abruptly and running away from him like a bullet.

"Kagome!" He shouted after her, following pursuit. In moments he was already about to catch her, he was much quicker than her human legs. But she turned her head and yelled "**OSWARI**!", forcing his whole body to slam into the mud. When he managed to look up, she yelled it again, making it impossible for him to move as she traveled further and further away from him. "Kagome!" He screamed again, but she was gone now. He could follow her, but it was no use when she would just keep him at a distance. Damn this stupid necklace…what the hell was her problem!? Damn it…

Kagome couldn't believe this. Inuyasha was with Kikyo for two whole days! What was she supposed to think, that they were just talking? Ugh…Kagome became nauseous again. Her heart broke at the thought of Kikyo holding him, kissing him…Kagome had never felt so alone in her whole life. She ran and ran, her lungs felt like bursting and the rain was still pouring over her. Her clothes felt heavy from the water weight, and she began to feel too exhausted to keep running. She slowed to a stop, falling to her knees and sat back on her heels while she inhaled and exhaled frantically.

"Kagome!" A feminine voice yelled. Kagome followed the direction it came from, and saw Sango running towards her with Miroku and Shippo in tow. "Are you okay!?" Sango kneeled beside Kagome, panicked. Kagome was suddenly glad it was raining; Sango wouldn't be able to tell that she was crying.

"It's okay guys, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you where I was going, I just couldn't think…" Kagome quivered.

"Let's get her out of the rain," Miroku proclaimed, scooping Kagome up. Her body was like a rag doll in his arms. Kirara transformed into her larger version and Miroku steadied Kagome on Kirara's back.

Inuyasha sensed Kagome and the others outside now, and rushed out to meet them. Kagome looked empty…like the life in her was sucked out. He wanted to run to her and hold her, but for some reason she was upset with him. There was no way she could have learned of he and Kikyo. Absolutely no way.

As Miroku and Sango attempted to help Kagome down from Kirara, Kagome shook her head. "No. I won't go near Inuyasha."

Sango and Miroku exchanged confused glances at each other and then at Inuyasha, who was clotted with chunks of mud. What had happened there?

"Kagome, why don't you want to see Inuyasha?" Shippo asked innocently.

Sango suddenly came to realization. "Miroku, Shippo, inside with Inuyasha. Kagome and I need to be alone." She said, shooing them away.

Inuyasha didn't want Kagome to leave in this condition. She looked so frail, and he couldn't stand that Kagome refused to even go near him. "But-"

"_Go_, we'll be back later." Sango cut Inuyasha off sharply, mounting Kirara and taking off with Kagome.

Sango lead Kirara and Kagome to an empty shrine a few miles out of the village that was open to anyone. They were both drenched, but at least they could dry off in the shelter. There were wooden benches in the room, where Sango lead Kagome to sit down on. Candles lit the room, and a small bonfire kept it warm.

"Oh, Kagome…what happened? You can tell me anything, you know that." Sango swept the strands of hair that stuck to Kagome's face away. Her messy bun had fallen loose in many places.

Kagome wanted to tell Sango everything, she was her best friend and she knew Sango would be there for her. But…telling her about Inuyasha and Kikyo would mean telling her how she came to find out about the incident, which would mean telling her about Sesshomaru. And she wasn't sure if she should.

"Well…three nights ago, when you and the others were asleep, Inuyasha and I were up talking. He had said something sweet to me, and it made me feel really happy…but then he suddenly left me, saying he'd be back later. And after a half hour of waiting, I began to get worried and went out to try and find him. Turns out he was just outside of the village, and he was with Kikyo." Okay, so Kagome had told the truth until she got to the end, leaving out how she'd actually found out from Sesshomaru and didn't actually see Inuyasha and Kikyo.

"He went back to Kikyo again…? I thought he had chosen you over her after how he hurt you when he thought Kikyo had been killed by Naraku…no wonder you don't want to see him," Sango sympathized. Kagome nodded weakly.

"So I went home, I was too hurt to think about telling you guys. I just had to be alone."

Sango nodded. "I understand. I know how much you care for Inuyasha. I can't believe he would do this to you. Does he know you saw him with her?"

"No, he doesn't. And please don't say anything to him either; I'd rather keep this just between the two of us. Thank you for being here for me, by the way. You're a really good friend, Sango." Kagome was so grateful for Sango.

"Anytime. I know you'd always be there for me, too."

"And I'm really, _really _sorry for making you guys worry and that you were out looking for me for three days!"

Sango laughed. "It's really okay, I'm just glad you're still in one piece. Well, mostly." She was referring to Kagome's broken heart.

"Yeah…I decided I'm going to try and let go of Inuyasha. He's had several chances to have me, but in the end he always went back to Kikyo. So I'm done. I'm going to start treating him like anyone else, and maybe by doing that, we will become like anyone else."

"I think that's smart. I mean, I know Inuyasha _does_ have feelings for you, but he can't keep getting away with hurting you like this because he's struggling to choose who he loves more. It's not fair to you and you shouldn't keep waiting around for him to finally choose you."

"I know. And I'm finally going to stop waiting." It was unhealthy to keep holding on to something that hurts you so much. Maybe if it was meant to be, there wouldn't have been such a struggle for Inuyasha to pick her or Kikyo. If it was meant to be, maybe he would've chosen her a lot sooner. It was just time now so say goodbye to her love for Inuyasha. It wouldn't be easy; it would take a lot of time and strength. But she was determined to succeed, and finally move on.

"I still don't want to see Inuyasha yet though. What do I do when we go back to the village?" Kagome was dreading seeing him. She just couldn't bear it.

Sango thought for a moment. "We'll stay at Kaede's for a few days, just you and I. I'll tell Miroku to have himself, Inuyasha, and Shippo go to stay with the monk Mushin, and we'll meet them there later while you and I have girl time."

Kagome agreed with this plan, she needed to compose herself before she spoke to Inuyasha again. Sango and Kagome were still damp, but they were much drier than before. "Should we stay here until the rain stops?" Kagome asked, glancing to Sango. Sango turned to see how heavy the rainfall was. It wasn't as bad anymore, just a little harder than sprinkling.

"Yeah, let's just wait it out." She answered. Kagome sneezed, and sneezed again. Sango looked over at her. "Oh no, you better not be getting sick on me…" she said. Kagome sniffled and wondered if she was getting sick. She sneezed a third time.

* * *

Sango took the digital thermometer out of Kagome's mouth and her eyebrows pinched together in worry as she read the numbers. 103.4, it read. These things from the future that Kagome carried with her were really amazing.

"Well, that's what happens I guess when you go sprinting through the rain and let yourself dry improperly…" Sango told her as Kagome lay under the covers of the bed, her forehead sweating and her face pale. "You're really sick…"

Kagome coughed loudly, her head pounding like there was a hammer inside of it. All her energy was completely drained. Every time she drifted off to sleep, dreams of Inuyasha leaving her for Kikyo consumed her mind, ailing her awake again. When she and Sango had come back to Kaede's from the shrine, Sango went inside and told the guys their plans. Inuyasha had put up a fight, wanting to talk to Kagome himself and trying to push past Sango and Miroku to see her. The girls didn't know how, but Miroku was somehow able to easily convince Inuyasha to listen to them and leave quietly. As Inuyasha passed by Kagome with Miroku and Shippo on their way out, he stared at her intensely, anxiously wanting to confront her and was reluctant to leave her.

"If there's anything I can get for you, please tell me. For now, I'm going outside to get a bucket of cold water from the river so I can put a cool cloth on your forehead. I'll be back in about twenty or thirty minutes, hold on until then," Sango told her, picking up a pail to take to the river and hesitantly leaving Kagome. Kagome pushed the covers down to her mid stomach. It was too hot…

Sesshomaru; that idiot. Everything was entirely _his_ doing. If he had just left her alone, she would never found out about Inuyasha and Kikyo and she'd still be happy and she wouldn't have gotten sick from using up all her strength in the rain to avoid Inuyasha. That lucky bastard would never even know how sick she felt right now; Sesshomaru was immune to sickness and disease.

She thought back to the last encounter they had made. The way he grabbed her wrist and her face when he wanted to know the secret of the well…it made her angry. It was like he thought he had _control _over her or something. He did not, and the next time she saw him, she would let him know exactly that…but for now she needed to try and sleep. If only her nightmares would leave her.

* * *

Sesshomaru followed Kagome's faint scent back toward the village. But this time, her smell was different…it was less pleasant than usual. Normally, she smelled like fresh honeysuckle; this time it was tainted with something unpleasant.

As he got closer, he was able to decipher the difference. She was ill. The stupid girl had gotten sick. The wooden cottage came into view, but Sesshomaru stopped abruptly before he made his advance. He smelled another scent that was recently there, one of Kagome's friends, the demon slayer. The girl's smell was freshest heading past the village though, so he was able to enter the door to the home Kagome was in at an un-seeable speed, almost ghostlike. He wondered where Inuyasha was this time, perhaps with the dead priestess again?

The very small room was brightly lit from the sun outside. Around the corner of the kitchen, he spotted her. Her eyes were closed, lying motionlessly with her covers by her waist, revealing her loose pyjama top. She didn't look well at all; her face was white, and he could feel the extra heat that was emitting from her body. Humans were not normally this warm.

Suddenly, her coffee colored eyes opened and focused themselves on his face. Sesshomaru could see better how dark the bags under her eyes were. So she had not been sleeping well lately…

He stood frozen so she wouldn't be frightened. She was none the less. Her weak body was startled as she jolted upward slightly involuntarily. She let out an exasperated sigh, and nestled back into the bed.

"Some indication of your presence would have been nice," Kagome growled. He found her reaction to be rather entertaining.

"I have some questions to ask you, miko."

"Enough with this "miko" business. It's Kagome, please," She corrected, and Sesshomaru thought about that. Perhaps he would speak her first name…

"Fine, then, Kagome." He said, and Kagome strangely liked that he'd said it. His voice was so deep and masculine...it was alluring.

Sesshomaru heard her heart rate increase, and there was also a little more color to her too-pale cheeks. "I want to know about this future you can teleport to. Tell me, are there any youkai there?" He asked, towering above her with suspicious eyes. He watched her shift uncomfortably in the covers.

"Well, no, not as far as I've seen…" Kagome admitted, not directly meeting his eyes. Perhaps she already knew he would not like this answer.

No youkai? That was impossible. Does that mean in the future, all youkai will be erased from existence? No, he would not believe that. Nothing could kill off all the youkai but leave the weak human race living. There had to be some other kind of explanation.

While Sesshomaru continued to drift into his thoughts, Kagome went through a fit of coughing, breaking his thinking process.

"What has caused you to fall ill?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome responded to this question with wide eyes. Why was he asking her about herself? Sesshomaru normally would never bother asking questions that didn't concern something he was involved in.

Still, Kagome answered him. "I was trying to avoid seeing Inuyasha. I ran from him while it was raining pretty hard. I wore myself out and this was the result."

Sesshomaru only half nodded. So, she was trying to avoid Inuyasha. For some reason he felt a flow of pleasure from this fact, and he again wasn't sure why.

Kagome continued on, this time unintentionally; it just started seeping out. "I just didn't know what to say when I saw him again; he knows I'm upset with him but he doesn't know why, I just felt so-"

"Kagome, I'm not your analyst."

"Right, sorry…" Kagome felt stupid now, and there was an awkward silence between her and Sesshomaru now…

"Inuyasha is a bastard." Sesshomaru said bluntly, and for the first time, Kagome saw the just the slightest - almost invisible - smile on his mouth. Kagome laughed, but her laugh turned into a groan from the pressure to her headache.

"Yeah, sometimes," She agreed, still smiling but she held her hand to her head. Sesshomaru felt Kagome's melancholy mood become a little lighter. "Um, Sango will be back soon…and I kind of haven't told anyone about you yet. You should go,"

Sesshomaru stared at her, baffled. This girl had actually not told yet? He was surprised. He was sure Kagome would have told someone by now. Perhaps threatening her friends had kept her quiet.

"And Inuyasha hasn't been around lately either, so he hasn't smelled you yet," she continued.

"I still have questions, and I will keep returning until I am satisfied," Sesshomaru told her.

"Fine, you can ask them later, just please go!" Kagome begged, pointing towards the door.

"Too late…" Sesshomaru murmured, as his ears picked up on someone approaching the hut they were in. Whether he left or stayed, it was inevitable that he would be seen now. The door to the hut creaked open and then closed, and the young girl appeared in the room. No one moved for at least a two full seconds.

"What the hell are you doing to Kagome!?" She screamed, dropping the water bucket to the floor, the liquid flooding out to Sesshomaru's feet.

* * *

**Oh ho ho ho ho...I feel so very clever :3 WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? Oh right, I KNOW! Actually to be quite honest, since I'm changing up the storyline from the old version, even I'm not sure! O.O But I'll be sure to update soon, so check back every few days! Thank you SO MUCH to all the people that have followed/favorited this story so far, you guys are awesome and keep me motivated to keep writing! And I send EXTRA love to my reviewers! Oh I uploaded a cover that I drew for this story! All rights belong to me cause IT WAS DONE BY MY HAND :D**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Development

Kagome and Sesshomaru were frozen; Kagome speechless and Sesshomaru caught in an uncomfortable state of affairs. Taking a step closer, Sango glared harder at Sesshomaru.

"Answer me! Or I won't go easy on you!" She shouted, reaching and pulling her Hiraikotsu from the wall where it had been hanging, and swung it around her shoulder in preparation to attack.

"Do not be deceived. I am not harming Kagome, nor is that my intent." He spoke, watching the exterminator with caution.

"Then what exactly _is _your intent?" She hissed, keeping her expression aggressive.

"Sango, it's okay! I can explain, so calm down," Kagome said. Sango lowered her Hiraikotsu and looked back and forth between Kagome and Sesshomaru's faces, now becoming puzzled.

"I lied to you the other day. I never actually saw Inuyasha with Kikyo. Sesshomaru did, and he ended up telling me about it. And the reason I'm even involved with Sesshomaru in the first place is because he saw me transport through the well when I wasn't paying attention. He found out my secret, and forced me to tell him," Kagome admitted, avoiding Sango's baffled and shocked stare.

"How did he force you to tell him?" Sango asked, her voice coming out as more of a whisper.

"…" Kagome didn't want to tell Sango that he had threatened to hurt them if she didn't comply. That would only provoke her to be angrier, and that was something Kagome didn't want to happen since Sango would most likely attempt to attack Sesshomaru and end up wounded or possibly dead. Besides, Kagome's head was killing her and her fever was high, and she didn't need to add to the stress she already had on her shoulders.

"She told me because I am no fool. Even if she had not told me, I would have figured it out myself." Sesshomaru answered for her, sending Sango an expressionless stare.

"What do you plan to use this information for?" Sango probed for more knowledge of Sesshomaru's thoughts. For all she knew, he could be plotting to destroy the future era that Kagome lived in. What could become of this new information Sesshomaru had obtained?

"This Sesshomaru will do what I please with it once I get more answers from Kagome."

"Look, if you're planning on corrupting the way of life in Kagome's world, our group will take you down." Sango threatened.

"Your boldness is admirable; however, I am Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western lands, and successor to the great Inu No Taisho. And I will never be defeated by any of you, especially not Inuyasha."

Kagome weakly pushed her upper body up from the bed, feeling lightheaded as she did so. But this needed to stop. "Enough bickering, guys, please…" She moaned.

Sesshomaru was concerned that the miko was sitting upward. He wanted her to lie back down, but he didn't know how to express that thought.

"Kagome, lay down! You need to be resting," Sango told her, walking to her side and gently guided Kagome's body back into the bed. It was as if she had read his mind, Sesshomaru thought.

Sango then turned to Sesshomaru, and her voice became almost a whisper. "Did you lie to Kagome when you told her Inuyasha was with Kikyo?" If he had lied to her and caused her all this pain over nothing, Sesshomaru would be right underneath Naraku on her "things to kill" list.

"There would be no benefit to lying about that." Sesshomaru responded. Sango still looked suspicious of him, not sure if she believed him.

"There would be a benefit if you were trying to cut her off from Inuyasha so that you could harass her easily,"

What Sango brought up was true; Kagome pushing Inuyasha away _had _made it easy for him to meet with Kagome without others around to cause conflict. "That would only be a benefit of the truth, then."

"I think it's true, Sango. Inuyasha was gone for two days after he had left that night. And Inuyasha was very vague when he revealed that fact to me." Kagome said quietly, not liking the reminder of this particular memory. Sango looked apologetically at Kagome.

"Inuyasha and the others need to know that _he_," Sango motioned to Sesshomaru, "knows about you being able to go back and forth between the well. Plus, since Inuyasha can transport through the well too, we can-"

"What?" A surge of anger arose in Sesshomaru. His weak, pathetic _half-blooded brother_ could travel through the portal, and he, Sesshomaru, could not? Sango's hand quickly flew to her mouth as she realized she accidently clued Sesshomaru in.

"_How_ can that wretched Inuyasha transport along with Kagome, but no one else can?" He growled, directing his question at Kagome; whose eyes were drooping heavily. She was beginning to pass out from her lack of energy.

"We're going to discuss this outside, Kagome. Please sleep." Sango urged, and went up to tuck the covers over Kagome. "And Sesshomaru will be back in a second with more water." She sent a sharp glance at Sesshomaru, pointing to the empty bucket that had spilt.

Sesshomaru did not like the demon slayer's attitude. No one bossed him around, _no one_. Kagome coughed loudly, and groaned. The unpleasant smell of the illness in her blood was more potent…_damn it_. Sesshomaru reached down and picked up the barrel, walking out the door and appearing back only a minute later with it filled.

Sango was very surprised Sesshomaru actually followed what she'd ordered. She expected him to flat out refuse. Still, he'd listened to her and done the favor, and she respected him a bit more for that. Sango took the bucket from Sesshomaru and set it next to Kagome's bed, dipping a rag into the cold water. Her hands rung it out, folded it, and then placed it on Kagome's forehead. She was finally asleep.

Sango pointed to the door of the hut, motioning Sesshomaru to go with her outside. He followed her out, until they were just outside of the village. If he could not get answers from Kagome, then he would question the demon exterminator.

"Answer the question I asked Kagome." He demanded.

"You're just going to have to wait until Kagome is better and ask her," Sango replied stubbornly. Sesshomaru really did not like this woman…how dare she oppose him? Kagome was stubborn like this too. Were all human women like this? How stressful. Sesshomaru was glad Rin was still a child.

"I am in no mood to argue with you,"

"Good, then don't." She crossed her arms.

Sesshomaru felt a flicker of irritation. Suddenly the unpleasant smell of Inuyasha reached Sesshomaru's nose. "Inuyasha is on his way here," Sesshomaru stated to Sango.

"What? I told Miroku to make sure he stayed with them until Kagome was ready! That idiot…" Sango exclaimed, but she was mostly talking to herself. Sango locked her eyes on Sesshomaru. "You'd better leave, no one wants a fight here."

Sesshomaru contemplated this for a minute. Perhaps it would be best to reveal everything to Inuyasha so he could stop sneaking around and meet with her whenever he pleased. "We'll settle this somewhere else then." He didn't want that hothead screaming his head off here and causing a scene. He would catch Inuyasha by surprise before he got here. He sniffed for Inuyasha's repulsive scent, which was not hard to detect. East. He was coming from the East. He followed the scent that grew stronger with every step he took, until his filthy half brother came into viewing range. Inuyasha had obviously smelled him as well, for he already had his Tetsusaiga drawn and ready. The idiot.

"Sesshomaru!" He addressed, with the usual menace in his voice when he spoke Sesshomaru's name. The past few days away from Kagome had been killing Inuyasha, and he _had_ to talk to her. He shouldn't have told Miroku about his meeting with Kikyo, because Miroku had used that as blackmail to go with him to Mushin's. If he didn't, he would tell Kagome. The damn monk. He opened up to the guy about his issue and the bastard backbit him. Inuyasha had stayed with Miroku and Shippo there, but each day that passed without being able to find out why Kagome was so upset ate away at him. Until finally just a while ago, Inuyasha was able to slip out of Mushin's when Miroku and Shippo were bathing.

"Why do I smell a hint of Kagome's scent on you?" He observed in a slow, calm voice; but underneath he was seething. "You better explain yourself fast, before I tear you to pieces!"

"You truly are an idiot, Inuyasha. I've been meeting with the miko every few days since I witnessed her dive into the bone eaters well. You've just been too…busy to realize that." Sesshomaru said icily, his eyes hard and cold. Inuyasha picked up on the way Sesshomaru had said that last sentence, and felt nervous.

"What do you know?" Inuyasha asked, bearing his fangs at him while a numbing fear filled his chest.

"I know what you wish for Kagome never to find out. Too bad she already knows." Sesshomaru confirmed.

"…" Inuyasha was speechless, as one would expect. Inuyasha had not predicted this at all. Sesshomaru had seen him with Kikyo, and now it all made sense why Kagome had acted the way she did…shit. He really screwed up this time…he now realized how much pain she was in. Sesshomaru felt pleased at his brother's new realization. He very much enjoyed seeing him squirm. "I will return soon when Kagome is awake."

"Wait, what? Why is she asleep at this time of day? And you're _not _going to harass Kagome anymore!"

Hah. What made this impudent fool think he could tell him what to do? "Kagome has been ill. I haven't gotten all the answers I seek, so until this Sesshomaru is satisfied, I will question the miko. And whether you comply or not, that is the way it will be," Sesshomaru stared his brother down.

"Why you…!" Inuyasha flung his body forward and swung the Tetsusaiga in Sesshomaru's direction, which he avoided effortlessly.

"Hm." Sesshomaru grunted, not amused as Inuyasha swung and swung again at him; continually missing. The sliced trees slammed to the ground instead. Sesshomaru dodged past one of Inuyasha's strikes in one quick movement, lunged forward and punched him hard in the face; causing Inuyasha to fall backward from the impact, momentarily stunned.

"You have no right to any say anything in any matter, hanyou, but in this particular one, you most definitely do not. Kagome doesn't want you near her, and I will use this to my advantage." He began walking away from his brother to head back to Rin and Jaken.

Inuyasha lifted himself of the ground, growling deeply with rage. But what could he do? Kagome _didn't _want to see him, and because of that he was useless to stop Sesshomaru.

Why hadn't Kagome told him Sesshomaru had been around her, intimidating her? Then again, what he hid from her was much worse…he just couldn't help himself. He had always loved Kikyo. After his time spent with Kagome, yes, he realized it was possible to love someone else. But Kikyo's soul was still here and he didn't want to give Kikyo up. Kikyo still loved him and he still loved her. Inuyasha also knew Kagome also had fallen in love with him; they had been though a lot together now and Inuyasha had developed strong feelings for her as well. He was with Kagome most of the time, so when it came to Kikyo, the time he spent with her was fleeting. That night he had left, he followed Kikyo's scent to the docks; one of the places he had shared an intimate moment with her before they were tricked by Naraku. He had given her a shell filled with his mother's favorite lip color, and she'd tried it on. They embraced lovingly.

Being back at that same dock, Inuyasha had asked what she was doing there. Though he knew well, she was there thinking about him and that moment. He got caught up in the memory and the moment, asking Kikyo to come away with him. Kikyo refused sadly, she said they couldn't be together. She was alive, but only off the souls of the dead. And though she wanted to only be with Inuyasha…she had to kill Naraku first and the Shikon jewel needed to disappear. Inuyasha didn't want to wait that long; he wanted to be with her right then. He pleaded with her more, but she was distancing herself from him. Finally he just grabbed her and began kissing her. They kissed for several minutes under the stars, favoring every second they were sharing together.

During their two days together, they escaped everything they'd been running from and acted like two normal lovers should. Like the lovers they wished they could be. They hadn't mated, or even gotten close to it. They just spend time together, cuddling and kissing and talking. He loved her so much, it was impossible to just forget about her for Kagome. Inuyasha hated himself for hurting Kagome like this though. Kagome was always there for him…and he really and honestly did care a great deal about her. Kagome had the purest heart, and never hesitated to show unconditional love for him. But Kikyo was his first love, before Kagome was ever in the picture. Inuyasha had hurt Kagome before because he couldn't forget about Kikyo, but now, Inuyasha had _really _hurt Kagome. And from the way she reacted, he guessed he might not have another chance with her again. Was he okay with that…? He wasn't sure. On one hand, he wanted her to move on so he would stop hurting her. On another, he was being selfish and wanted to keep caring about her and for her to wait for him to figure out his relationship with Kikyo. It was a very, very selfish thought, he knew. But one thing he was definitely sure of at the moment was that he didn't want Sesshomaru around Kagome again; especially without his presence.

Inuyasha went now to the village to see Kagome. He spotted Sango outside, who looked as though she were worried. However, when she spotted him, she exhaled, relieved. "I thought you two would have been at it longer, but you seem to be intact,"

Inuyasha lashed out on Sango. "So you _know_ he's been hanging around here and you didn't do anything about it?!"

"I didn't know until today either, Inuyasha. Don't jumping to conclusions out of impulse!" Sango snapped back.

"Hmph, sorry." He grunted. "How did you find out?"

"I came back from the river with some cold water for Kagome - who's sick in bed, by the way - and I caught Sesshomaru in the room with her. He must have snuck in there when I was gone. I was really caught off guard."

"That bastard…" The more he thought about it, the angrier he got at himself for not noticing sooner. "Did Sesshomaru say anything about why he wanted to know this information so badly?"

"No, not really…it seems like he's just curious,"

"Well you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat. Or in this case, the dog." Inuyasha said darkly.

"There you are, Inuyasha!" Miroku crowed, running towards him with Shippo in tow. Shippo leapt up and smacked Inuyasha over the head.

"You're ruining Sango and Kagome's girl-on-girl time!" Shippo yelled pointing his finger at Inuyasha accusingly. Inuyasha and Sango to snapped their heads toward him in shocked awe.

"G-girl on girl time!? Who taught you that phrase!?" Sango fumed.

Shippo looked up at them innocently, confused. "Miroku said that's why Inuyasha and I needed to leave, so you two could have girl-on-girl time!" He said confidently, unaware of the actual meaning of the phrase.

"_**MIROKUUU**_!" Inuyasha and Sango bellowed simultaneously, turning to the monk with their fists raised.

"Now, now, it was only a joke…!" He laughed nervously, running away from them.

Shippo watched as the Inuyasha and Sango chased Miroku away and cocked his head to the side. "Was it something I said…?"

After the fuss over Shippo's inappropriate remark, the four settled down outside the hut near the rice patties, underneath a tall tree that shaded them from the sun. There, Sango filled Miroku and Shippo in on the issue with Sesshomaru. They also were concerned, but agreed with Sango in waiting to see what the intention of the well would be to Sesshomaru.

"I'm going to go check on Kagome," Inuyasha declared, standing to go see her.

"No, Inuyasha." Sango advised, accompanied by a firm nod from Miroku. "You need to give Kagome time."

So Sango knew about Kikyo too. That meant Kagome definitely knew, and talked to Sango about it. And that's why the girls shipped him off with Miroku and Shippo to Mushin's.

"Why does Kagome need more time? More time for what?" Shippo asked curiously. Miroku looked down at the kitsune.

"Shippo, go on and play with Kirara." He urged, nudging him.

"But I want to know what's going on too!" He cried.

"I'm sorry Shippo, but this kind of talk is a little too old for you to hear. Now go on," Sango said, and Shippo reluctantly sauntered off with Kirara. Once he was out of hearing range, they continued.

"Sango's right. Kagome's strong; she'll pull herself together and talk to you when she's ready."

Inuyasha knew this already, but he was impatient and wanted to see her now. Especially since she was sick.

"I'll just sit with her then and I'll leave before she wakes up," Inuyasha stated, not waiting for Miroku or Sango to answer by leaping away from them. He quietly crept into the hut, where Kagome slept. She was pale and sweating, her black hair fanned out on the pillow. To Inuyasha's dislike, Sesshomaru's scent still lingered faintly.

Inuyasha sat next to her gently on the bed, watching her breathing pattern. He felt at peace just being next to her. He desperately wished he could love her even more than Kikyo. Once, Kagome had said it was enough just to be by his side. But was it really okay to keep her by his side even though he knew it was devastating to her? He knew the answer was that it wasn't. But he was half human, and wanted her to stay beside him anyway. It was a dark, twisted truth that raised a conflicted battle in Inuyasha's heart.

Kagome began to stir, causing Inuyasha to jump up from the bed in case she woke up. False alarm. She was still again, and back to a light snooze. Inuyasha slowly sat back down, and reached to Kagome's cheek softly to feel her temperature. She was too warm…her body would be fighting off the virus for the rest of the day.

* * *

Kagome awoke from her sleep; but she was surrounded by darkness. Kagome felt a lot better than before; but she was still feeling a bit achy. She sat up and let her eyes adjust a bit more, scanning around the room. On the floor, she could make out the shapes of people in futons. Sango, Miroku, Shippo…and Inuyasha? Kagome stepped out of the bed lightly onto the wood floor, getting a closer look at the figures. Yep, it was Inuyasha alright. She could see his dog ears. What had happened after Sango and Sesshomaru had left? Oh, that's right…what had happened to Sesshomaru? Abruptly, Kagome could suddenly feel his youkai aura pulsating from outside the hut. Kagome tip toed out as quietly as she could. Her bare feet touched the dirt as she followed the direction of the aura, making her way outside the village. She was only wearing her pajamas, which were soft shorts and a flowy top.

Sesshomaru waited for her quietly. He had gone and hunted to take care of Rin's food for the night, brought it to her and made sure she was safe, and came back. He wasn't sure why he decided to come back; he just followed what he knew he wanted to do. When he did, Inuyasha was there with the other three. Sesshomaru could conceal or exert his demonic aura whenever he wished, hiding his presence from them. He had spent years perfecting that ability. And when he'd sensed Kagome stirring from her sleep moments ago, he unleashed his aura so that Kagome would come find him.

"You…were waiting for me?" Kagome asked him as he came into her sight. Sesshomaru looked at what she was wearing. Where did she find such strange outfits all the time?

"You smell better." Sesshomaru stated, causing Kagome to raise an eyebrow.

"Um, what?" She sounded insulted.

"Earlier I could smell the sickness in your blood. It's much less polluted now," It was much closer to its usual honeysuckle aroma. Each time Sesshomaru smelled it, he grew fonder of it.

"I summoned you here in my presence to continue our conversation. You had said you hadn't seen any youkai in this future you live in. Have you deliberately searched for youkai before?"

"Well, no, I haven't. I don't know why, the thought just never crossed my mind," Why _hadn't _she suspected of youkai being around in her era?

"Then it's possible they live on in your time." If they didn't, there has to be some kind of major event that will happen within the next 500 years to cause their demise. "Kagome, you will bring me to this world you live in," Sesshomaru demanded.

"I can't take you there; it doesn't let anyone else through!"

Sesshomaru remembered what Sango had told him. "Then why does Inuyasha have access to the well?"

"Y-you know about that?" Kagome then sighed heavily. "Well, I'm honestly not sure how he can while others can't."

"…I do not accept this answer," Sesshomaru crossed his arms.

"Well you're going to have to because that's the only answer I can give you!"

Sesshomaru wasn't getting anywhere with these answers. They were vague and obstructive, and left him feeling agitated.

"Well, tell me what this future is like, then." He was curious to know what it held. Kagome walked up close beside him and sat on the ground, motioning him to join her. He did.

Kagome didn't know where to start. There were a lot of differences that Sesshomaru probably wouldn't understand. But she'd try her best. "Well, in the future, Japan is filled with people and the land has been changed drastically. There are stone roads everywhere, where the people can travel on with moving objects that carry them from place to place. There are large buildings and houses, and we've learned to harness energy to create light, heat, and air whenever we need it. There are pipes that connect to all the houses, providing water at their leisure. Food is mass produced, and people gather at large markets to buy it."

Sesshomaru absorbed all of this information, trying to imagine it. It was very difficult to. "It sounds boring," Sesshomaru finally decided.

Kagome looked over at him, surprised by his words. "Boring?" She repeated.

"All you humans did was made things more convenient. It sounds to me like the humans become lazy."

Kagome laughed a little bit; it was interesting hearing his point of view on their way of life. "It can get boring sometimes, and it's true that it's more convenient," she agreed, "but no matter what era I'm in, I've realized that sharing your joys with others is what makes life worth living." She said, smiling as if she knew some secret that he didn't.

They both fell silent, with only the sound of cicadas in the trees. Sesshomaru stared at the stars, reflecting on her words.

* * *

**Starting to feel myself lose that motivation again...don't let me! *hint*: I become more motivated the more reviews I receive ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Change

_No matter what era I'm in, I've realized that sharing your joy with others is what makes life worth living._

The sentence played over in Sesshomaru's mind. The idea made him think of Rin. No amount of power acquired would make up for the loss of Rin's life, no matter how much he would gain from it. He was the closest thing Rin had to family. He protected her as if she were his own daughter. Sesshomaru didn't need to express his care for her in any way verbally; he knew that she already knew. But Sesshomaru's feelings toward Rin were not like the new feelings he had begun to feel for the miko. With Rin, he saw her as a kindhearted child who needed protecting. With Kagome…it was something else. The feelings were small, but caused great irritation to Sesshomaru, and he could not deny that they existed. He wasn't sure what the diminutive feelings were, either. One cannot properly describe something they have no knowledge of. He had certainly never felt these feelings over anyone else before. So why the miko…?

"Sesshomaru?" the feminine voice brought him out of his thoughts. The miko was staring at him now, her eyes searching his face.

Sesshomaru focused his gaze of the shadowed trees in front of them. He heard her let out a sigh.

"You weren't even listening, were you?"

"No." He said bluntly. Sesshomaru had always been very straightforward with others. He saw no point in saying anything that wasn't the truth.

"I had asked what the joys in your life were," she said, still staring at Sesshomaru. He could feel her eyes on him.

"My joys?"

"Yes."

"…I have no true joys."

"I think there's more to you than that…I think you're a lot more compassionate than you'd like to admit." Kagome knew she might have been pushing her limits with Sesshomaru, but it was true. She saw something in him…a small spark that had the potential to burn brightly. Perhaps it was her priestess powers that allowed her to catch a glimpse. Though she was pretty sure Rin had started that spark, she suspected it might be possible for it to grow.

Sesshomaru remained unspoken about her remark, as he usually did. Was this girl really that insightful? "Go home. You still need to heal from your infirmity." He got up, and looked down at her. She seemed small and defenseless. He was surprised that this petite, benevolent girl could actually hold her own against youkai. Kagome stood up as well, wiping off the dirt from the back of her shorts. Sesshomaru turned from her, and began walking away.

"Wait, I just need to know," Kagome, without thinking, had reached out her hand and tugged on Sesshomaru's long sleeve. This action surprised Sesshomaru, and he turned his head towards her. She immediately released his sleeve, and took a step back. Sesshomaru sensed a feeling of discomfiture from her.

"I- I just wanted to know if you were done with asking me questions now. There shouldn't be any reason for us to meet again if not," She looked a little uncomfortable asking this, not making eye contact with him.

"No, not for the time being," he answered. He felt a flicker of disappointment in Kagome. He too, was dissatisfied with the answer he had given her. "That is, unless you're willing to cooperate with my request,"

Kagome grew curious and waited for Sesshomaru to tell her his request.

"I would value your help if you would try and sense youkai in your own era, and research prior events in the past linked to youkai. It concerns this Sesshomaru that the presence of youkai is not obvious in your time."

It wasn't surprising that Sesshomaru was concerned, Kagome thought. He was a great dog youkai that was expected to live for over a thousand years; older than 500 years in the future. Was it possible for the youkai to become…extinct?

"I'll cooperate."

"Then I'll return for you on the turn of the full moon. Is this sufficient time?"

The moon was currently at its waxing gibbous. That meant she had about a week before it was full. "Yes, it is," She decided. Kagome had noticed when he had said 'I'll return for you' rather than 'I'll return for the information'. Perhaps she was just reading into it too much…and why did she notice it in the first place?

"Then it's settled." He said emotionlessly, and continued on his way, his long hair flowing behind him. He felt pleased that Kagome had agreed to his request. He genuinely wanted her to find out more about the future era, but at the same time…was it just an excuse to see Kagome again?

* * *

"You're leaving again?" Inuyasha asked Kagome as he watched her pack up her belongings into her yellow backpack. He and Kagome hadn't spoken much. After they had woken up the next morning, Kagome hadn't seemed surprised that he was there along with Miroku and Shippo.

"Yeah, I have to take care of a few things back in my time," She said, sweeping her bangs out of her eyes. It was awkward being around Inuyasha. She was pretty sure he knew now why she had been avoiding him. Ever since they woke up, Inuyasha hadn't spoken to her much and occasionally would look over at her with a guilty expression.

"Maybe I can go with you, help you out while you're there?" His golden eyes looked hopeful.

"No, really, I'm just going to go by myself…" Now that Kagome thought about it, Inuyasha would actually be a huge benefit to the request Sesshomaru had made. He had strong senses for youkai, and his nose rarely lied. But there were several reasons she denied allowing him to go: one was because she didn't say anything about her midnight meeting with Sesshomaru. Sango had updated her on what had happened while she was sick in bed, and she knew Inuyasha would have taken it badly.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said strongly, his rough voice now demanding her full attention. Kagome set down the backpack and set her eyes on him. He hesitated momentarily, but quickly became sure of himself. "I know you know that I left that night to go see Kikyo."

Kagome's heart began to throb slightly. She didn't like that he was bringing it up. "Yeah," She said quietly, looking downward.

"I…I don't really know what to say to you, Kagome. I know 'sorry' isn't enough, but I just want you to know that I never meant to hurt you."

"I know you didn't. Kikyo has always been your first choice, I know. Really, it's my own fault for thinking you'd choose me over her," Kagome desperately wished Inuyasha would deny what she'd said, that he'd tell her he had been wrong and that he wanted to be with her and not Kikyo.

But he was quiet now. Inuyasha wanted to say something to comfort her, but he stopped himself. He didn't want her to hurt so much anymore. Maybe if she hated him for a while, she would move on from him and slowly heal…after all, what she said wasn't entirely wrong. Kikyo _was_ his first choice…no matter how much he wanted Kagome as well.

Kagome came to grips with his silence, and met his eyes. "You've always told me to stay by your side. But why should I when you never stay by mine? I'm going to stop loving you, Inuyasha. I honestly do hope you're happy with Kikyo. But this hurts too much to keep holding on," Kagome held her head high, and smiled. "But I hope we can still work together to destroy Naraku and bring peace to the futile era,"

"Sure." She was so strong, Inuyasha thought. Hearing her say she was going to give him up made him poignant, but he knew that it was the selfish side of him that was trying to take control. Her smile was forced, but it seemed like she was trying to be sincere. This was what he loved so much about Kagome. She had the strongest heart of anyone he'd ever known. The only weakness she had was him, and he knew that.

Kagome picked up her backpack again, and sent another smile toward Inuyasha. "I'll see you soon!" She said, slinging the yellow straps onto her shoulders and running off.

Inuyasha instinctly followed her…he didn't want to end things like this. With her so hurt…

"Kagome," He called, but she kept walking. He kept up with her, walking beside her. "Kagome, I just wanted to say that I…I've always cared deeply for you. And I always will,"

Kagome's heart started beating faster. _No, no, NO!_ She would not let him do this to her. Why was he being so cruel? He knew these words would make her weak…they would make her want to melt into his arms.

"Inuyasha, please…" She said desperately, now enclosing on the well. Small tears welled up into the corners of her eyes, which she tried with every fiber in her vein to hold back.

He didn't want to see her go yet. He wanted her to know just how much he was sorry. How much it pained him that he had to debate his feelings over Kikyo and her. He just wanted to make it all go away and only love Kagome…after all, she was real and alive. Kikyo was technically alive, but she was no longer a part of the world…she was a piece of her old self. No longer quite human. He chose Kikyo because of his deep connection with how she used to be. But he _wished _so badly that he could sever those ancient feelings and focus on how things were now. How things were with Kagome. However, the fragment of Kikyo's soul made it impossible to let go…impossible to forget Kikyo and his past with her. But if that fragment didn't exist…if there was no trace of Kikyo left…he knew he could love Kagome with all his heart and never look back.

Inuyasha made a sharp movement towards Kagome, catching her by the waist and pulling her body close to his. The scene reminded him of the night he'd spent with Kikyo on the dock…

Quickly he pushed the thought of Kikyo from his mind, desperate to make a connection with _Kagome_. He was with _Kagome_. Kagome's eyes were wide and he could see the dampness in her eyes, and he impulsively crashed his lips onto hers. Kagome's lips did not move.

"Omsweree!" Inuyasha's lips preventing her from being able to pronounce it properly. But the necklace obeyed her command, and send Inuyasha's face from her mouth to the grass. She was in total shock…she couldn't believe he had just _kissed_ her! After all he'd done, _why _was he still going out of his way to hurt her!? How did he not realize how much harder this made it for her!?

"You baka!" She screamed, jumping over the well and disappearing into its depths.

"Kagome, wait!" He called after her, thrusting himself off of the ground and leapt into the well too. But to his surprise, he found himself merely at the empty bottom of the well instead of in the shrine at Kagome's home.

He stood now, astonished. _What...?_

* * *

Sesshomaru found himself staring into the bone eaters well. It had been five days since he last saw Kagome. She would be nearly done with her research by now. But that was not the reason he was by the well this time. Something had called him here…a strange pull led him to the well and he did not have an explanation for this feeling. And he was getting pretty tired of having unexplained feelings.

At the bottom of the well, he didn't see the ground scattered with bones that was normally there. This time…he could see…dark wood, neatly crafted and linked with other pieces of wood. _Could it be? _Without another thought, he dove into the well, and found himself traveling through a long, dark void until he came up into what seemed like an empty room. The wood he had seen was…a ceiling. Where…was he? Nothing smelled familiar anymore. Except…a light honeysuckle aroma…_Kagome?_

* * *

**_Sorry for such a short chapter! I just have been busy lately since a relative of mine is in town for the week and we've got TONS of things planned so I haven't had much time to work on this chapter. But I decided to updated it anyway so it gave you something to look forward to for next week. Dragon Con is tomorrow and I'm so excited to go! Anyways I hope you all have a fantastic Labor Day weekend!_**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Fated

Sesshomaru climbed through the rims of the well, extremely aware of his surroundings. He actually had gone through the well that Kagome was able to use, despite not being able to before. He was 500 years into the future. Though Sesshomaru knew this was real, he felt as though he were dreaming. Instinctively, he followed Kagome's familiar scent to the door of the room he was in. He slid the door open cautiously, not sure what to expect beyond it. There were structures, made of painted woods or hard rock. The structures were unlike the one's he'd seen in human villages. They were much bigger and well built. Much of the ground was smooth rock as well, and there were not nearly as many trees. Just a few here and there, but it was mostly barren besides the strange structures. A large, well grown tree that was fenced off caught his eye. It was the same one by Kaede's village…the humans called it the sacred tree. It must be a thousand years old now.

The second thing he detected was foul smells that coated the air; they were inescapable. It was some kind of pollutant…like a burnt acid or something. Sesshomaru couldn't put his finger on it, but he did not like the smell. Also, there were strange sounds everywhere. Horns and whirring and buzzes and shuffling…things he did not recognize. This truly was a different era.

Sesshomaru felt beleaguered, but he did not let himself become overwhelmed. He decided to focus on the one thing that _was_ familiar; Kagome's scent. So he followed it, and every step he took it became stronger. It seemed to be coming from the nearest home. It had a blue roof and sliding doors covered with paper sheets. He slid it open carefully, still unwilling to let his guard down. The inside of the home was even more impressive than the outside of it. It was well furnished, every bit of it was perfected. There were carved pieces of wood meant for sitting that surrounded a wide flat surface. He guessed that was where they dined. There were things that were on the ceilings that glowed brightly to make light, as Kagome had described. He traveled through the home silently and aloofly. He came to a hall filled with steps that lead upward to a second level of the home, and the honeysuckle fragrance smelled the strongest from there. So he followed it up, and to a door that was bewildering. It was closed; and it did not slide like the others did. It had some kind of gold colored mechanism attached to it though that lead Sesshomaru to believe that it held some secret to opening the door. When he pushed it, nothing happened. He pulled it and it didn't budge. But when he twisted it…yes, that was the secret. The door made a clicking sound, and opened. So it wasn't too difficult, after all.

The walls were light lavender, and there was a wide window with purple curtains. Over the pale green tatami mats was a flat, pink sheet of fabric that took up a large rectangle space of the floor. And on a thick bed that was white with pink and red floral patterns on it, he saw Kagome. She was lying on her stomach, propped up on her elbows and staring intently at a pile of pages bound together. Her raven hair flowed down her back over her sea green tee shirt. She was still unaware of his presence. He wasn't sure how to let it be known, either. He could feel that her mood was very clouded and despondent. Kagome would most definitely be taken aback, as he was - and still is - when he discovered he was able to cross over through the well. Surprising her was inevitable now.

He slightly exerted his demonic aura so that Kagome would sense him. Immediately, he saw the muscles in her back and arms tense. Her body whipped over and up, so that she was now facing Sesshomaru and leaning back on her hands. Her eyes were wild and startled as she analyzed Sesshomaru, and her mouth hung open.

"Am…I dreaming?" Kagome murmured aloud, blinking hard to make sure she wasn't just imagining this. But he was still there, in his armored white kimono detailed with red printed flowers on one of the shoulders and at the ends of his sleeves and his yellow obi with navy blue patterns tied at the front of his waist. His two dark purple streaks on each of his cheeks and the crescent moon on his forehead, his narrow golden eyes, his perfectly sculpted nose, his straight, impassive lips…they were all there, visible in front of her. But_…how!?_

"I assure you that you are not dreaming," Sesshomaru said, somewhat amused by her comment.

"But…wait, just…HOW?" She shouted, now jumping off of the mattress and running up to Sesshomaru. She reached her slender hands out and patted Sesshomaru's chest and shoulders firmly. Yep, he wasn't imaginary.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow as she did this. He found her action to be endearing. Wait…endearing? Sesshomaru suddenly felt dislike for himself.

"How?" Kagome repeated, her mouth still open. "The well doesn't let anyone through besides Inuyasha and I…how did you get through?"

"This Sesshomaru does not know. The well called me to it, and I was able to cross." It was unexplainable, really. Somehow…he just sensed the well was pulling him to it. He was not able to cross it weeks ago, when he had first discovered Kagome's ability to transport through it. So what changed to make him able to go through?

Kagome closed her eyes and shook her head, then turned and walked over to the bed. She collapsed on top of it, face first into her pillow. _I can't believe this is happening._

"Have you found any evidence of youkai yet?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome's leg twitched, but then remained motionless. What a strange human.

The past few days Kagome had tried to ignore the incident with Inuyasha and just work on Sesshomaru's request, but she had little success. He had kissed her…and told her he'd always care about her. What an idiot.

"Kagome," Sesshomaru directed. He then saw her move her face out of her pillow so that she was on her cheek instead. She let out an exasperated sigh.

"No, I haven't. Your little brother made sure I'd never be able to focus on anything."

Sesshomaru made a disgruntled sound in his throat. "Keep in mind that I'm not interested in excuses."

"He kissed me…" She whispered, in a sort of daze.

Suddenly Sesshomaru was all ears for her excuse. So his brother was just like their father, attempting to balance two women at once. And that's the reason for the mood he had sensed from Kagome when he first walked in the room. Now, Sesshomaru was feeling another emotion he rarely felt; a twinge of jealousy. He knew this feeling when he learned his father had given Tetsusaiga to Inuyasha instead of him, the stronger, eldest son.

"…This Sesshomaru is not interested in your personal life, miko. I am interested in your progress on the assignment given to you."

"I haven't made much progress. I did go to several places and try to sense youkai. But I didn't sense any."

"Then you will guide me through this unfamiliar place, since you are a native here. I will find the answers I seek myself."

He heard her make another long sigh. "Fine…" She moaned, and got up from the bed. Her brown eyes looked Sesshomaru up and down.

"We might need to get you something else to wear so you blend in better…" She said. He looked so…not human. His elf-like ears in particular gave him away. The rest of his features and clothes could be mistaken for cosplay, though.

Sesshomaru did not like that idea one bit. "This Sesshomaru will stay in these clothes,"

"But everyone will get really suspicious and they might-"

"That is final, miko," He deliberately used the term instead of her name.

Kagome rolled her eyes. He was such a stubborn youkai. "Fine, but you at least have to wear this," She pulled out a dark blue hat from her dresser, and quickly placed it on top of Sesshomaru's head, making sure his ears were tucked underneath the cloth. Kagome saw the strong annoyance in his expression, but didn't try and remove it.

"Let's go," He demanded shortly, bitter that she made him wear this ridiculous looking hat on his head.

Kagome felt a little merrier inside as she noticed he didn't fight her on the hat. "Okay," She responded cheerily, following him out of the house like a puppy.

"Where should we start?" Kagome asked, before realizing that it was a dumb question to ask Sesshomaru. "Oh, right, you've never been here before. Well, I guess let's just walk around the city and see if you smell or sense any youkai."

They began walking down the sidewalk, Kagome slightly ahead of Sesshomaru. "So, you said the well "called" you to it, and you were able to transport here?"

"Yes,"

"Hmm…I just don't know what could have caused this to happen,"

Sesshomaru didn't know either. But he was pleased that this event took place. He was now able to travel between times. And he could see Kagome whenever he wished, with no boundaries; not even by time. Why did he take pleasure in meeting with Kagome so much? He was enjoying her company even more than Rin's. He had never in his life enjoyed someone's presence so much. Suddenly he felt another pang of jealousy. Inuyasha got to accompany her all the time.

Something caught Sesshomaru's eye in the distance; a large bug looking thing that was coming towards them at an alarmingly high speed. Without contemplation, Sesshomaru grabbed Kagome into his arms and leapt into the sky onto a building top, and set her down swiftly.

"Wait here," He said, and was about to leap back down to destroy the threat, but Kagome grabbed him tightly and yanked back as hard as she could.

"That's just a car! It's normal, there're millions of those here! That's what humans use to get to places faster!"

Sesshomaru glared at the thing called a "car" and noticed the people inside of its transparent window. So it was just a method of transportation…hm. Sesshomaru had never felt stupid before in his entire life. This was a first.

"Now, get us back down," She said, and Sesshomaru picked her back up and jumped down onto the sidewalk once more.

"Jeez, you're so over cautious, Sesshomaru," She said with a smile. It was actually really funny what had just happened. "This era is much safer than the one you're from,"

"This place is too…strange for me. It smells, and its filled with more humans than this Sesshomaru has ever seen." He said with distaste.

"And your time has too many blood thirsty youkai that crave power."

"There is nothing wrong with wanting to enhance and perfect you're strengths,"

"You're right," Kagome agreed, thinking about her own desires. "I want to work hard at improving my purification powers. At least until I'm as good as Kikyo."

Sesshomaru thought her powers were actually quite impressive, but he had to agree. She wasn't quite at Kikyo's level yet. After all, it was Kikyo that was able to lock his moronic brother under a spell for fifty years. However, it was Kagome that had the ability to break that spell.

"Sesshomaru, why do you desire strength? I mean, I desire strength so that I can heal others and protect them from harm. But you don't seem to care about others much,"

"I wish to be even greater than my father, to exceed him," Sesshomaru replied. Ever since he was young, he'd always wanted to exceed his father. His mother taught him never to be weak. He was a full blooded dog youkai, one of the strongest youkai to ever live. Yet, his father never seemed impressed with him, no matter how strong he became. So he fought harder and pushed himself further. But his father only ignored his efforts. Then his father died, and ever since then, he'd been training himself to overshadow his father's legacy.

"I bet your father is already proud of you; but not because of your strength," Kagome eyed Sesshomaru carefully, "I think he's always wanted you to show concern for someone other than yourself. And you have with Rin, right?" Kagome remembered how Myoga the flea had always told Sesshomaru that his Meido Zangetsuha, the ability to send demons straight to the underworld with Tenseiga, was given to Sesshomaru from his father in the hopes that he would use it to do good. She bet that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father, Inu No Taisho, just wanted his sons to do good. Not by means of physical ability or power, but by strength of the heart.

"My father was Lord of the Western Lands before I, but he always had a weak heart." Though he knew his father was soft hearted, he hadn't imagined that his father would have used drastic measures to teach Sesshomaru to be weak hearted as well. His father had tested him several times, as if he planned all of it before his death.

"It's not weak to have a kind heart. In fact, it can turn into one of the greatest strengths," Kagome reasoned.

"My father died a fool because of his 'kind' heart."

"No, you're father died in a memorable, respectable way. Protecting the ones he loved. That is not weak at all. To me, that's true strength. I'd gladly die for the sake of one I care about,"

Sesshomaru was then silent, as he often became after responses like that. This girl…she truly had a pure heart. Perhaps even a little too pure. It made his own heart feel…warm. What effect was this girl having on him…?

They walked together in silence for a while, their feet making patting sounds against the flat rock. Sesshomaru observed the sights of the world Kagome lived in. There were large signs with images on them all down the path they followed, and the things called "cars" passed by them more often the closer they got to the sky high structures. But mostly, he noticed humans riding on the same odd two- wheeled mechanisms that Kagome would sometimes use in the futile era. The humans all stared at him as they passed by. It made Sesshomaru fairly annoyed, but he tried to ignore it.

Though they had walked far into the city, Sesshomaru still had no detection of youkai anywhere. He again became uneasy at the thought of there being no youkai. After all, he was expected to live past this era. If he were not destroyed, then it would have been possible for there to be an older version of himself in this world. If he were to live in this time…where would he go?

This new idea intrigued him. Perhaps he could meet his future self. That is, if he lived to exist in this era. There still could have been some event in the past that wiped out youkai existence. So the best thing to figure out now would be what happened between the futile era and this era to make the youkai disappear.

"Where can we find information about past events?" Sesshomaru asked Kagome.

"Well…" Kagome thought for a minute. "We might be able to find something in the library,"

"Then that is our destination," Sesshomaru decided, and he saw Kagome nod in agreement.

A mile or two later, they made it to the library. Kagome and Sesshomaru began searching through the isle that was labeled "history". It made the most sense to start there.

"Let's see…" Kagome scanned over the titles of the books, looking for one that might seem promising. After a few minutes, an old, worn leather book caught her eye. It was a very thin, small book. "Dawnlight" it read. Dawnlight…Kagome had heard that name somewhere before…oh, yeah! Her mother had given her a little sparkling jewel that she said was called "Dawnlight". Could the title have anything to do with the jewel? Kagome pulled it out of the shelf, studying the cover.

"Does this book hold any significance to you?" Sesshomaru asked, noticing how Kagome seemed drawn in by this particular book.

"Yeah…my mom gave me a jewel, she told me it was an ancient artifact from the shrine and that it brought people happiness. This book has the same title as the jewel; Dawnlight."

"This Sesshomaru is not familiar with this object,"

Kagome flipped open the book to the first page, which was the only page in the book.

"The legend of the Dawnlight saved humanity from the constant attacks and fears of youkai. Dawnlight was a jewel forged by a man named Kimogoru. Kimogoru was a monumentally powerful monk, who lived to purify demons after the death of his beloved wife; who was torn apart viciously by youkai while the great monk was fending off another attack in a different village. Kimogoru began to wish that the very existence of demented youkai would be wiped out from the world; so that there would be no more conflict for the human race. He put all of his strength into the foraging of Dawnlight, and pleaded with God to pour some of his divine power into the jewel as well. The jewel began to glow…and then it began to shine brighter than the sun. From the light, this jewel cleansed all youkai, destroying the ones with evil intentions. The ones that lived because of their good natures live on, disguised among humans or enjoy solidarity in peace."

Was this really what happened..? Kagome stared at the book, amazed that the little stone her mom had given her for good luck was actually the same stone that wiped out the evil youkai.

"Sesshomaru, look," Kagome handed him the book, and watched him as he read through it. His expression did not change. He looked up from it and handed the book back to her.

So the youkai that were not wicked lived on, while the rest were purified by the Dawnlight. Sesshomaru thought this over. The youkai that survived live disguised among humans or in isolation…interesting.

"Well? Are you satisfied with this?" Kagome asked.

"Yes, this Sesshomaru is satisfied. I have no quarrel with this event," He declared.

"I guess we should head back to the futile era then…" Kagome bit her lip at the thought of returning. What would it be like with Inuyasha now? In a way, she treasured his brisk, impulsive kiss…but that was only because she had been in love with him for the past two years. But in the complete opposite way, she hated him for playing with her heart so cruelly. If he wanted to be with Kikyo, that was fine, painful, yes, but it would be better than this back and forth who-should-I-choose whiplash.

Sesshomaru could sense Kagome's reluctance to travel back to the futile era. She must be worried about having to see Inuyasha. What did she see in that halfwit? He was a pathetic excuse for a youkai, and for a human.

"Why do you feel affection for Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru inquired abruptly, causing Kagome to ogle Sesshomaru in inquisitiveness. Damn it, did he really just asked her that? Sesshomaru wished he could reverse time and never let that slip out of his mouth. Still, he was curious about her answer.

Kagome was stunned Sesshomaru would ask her about something so personal in her life. Was Sesshomaru somehow able to sense what she was feeling? She had to take a minute to think about her answer. Her love for Inuyasha was complicated.

"Inuyasha has always protected me…though he acts like a jerk sometimes, he cares about me a lot," Kagome looked down at the tile floor. "But now I'm starting to see that I can't count on him anymore."

Sesshomaru was not used to feeling this way about Kagome; he felt sympathetic. How could a girl like this not be prized by his brother? Another reason to hate his brother. Taking Kagome's love for granted.

"You should learn from this," Sesshomaru told her, in reference to her feelings and not being able to trust Inuyasha anymore.

Kagome looked up into his eyes, and Sesshomaru felt locked into her chocolate depths. Her sadness pulled at his heart, and he felt compelled to simply hold her in his arms. But he fiercely refrained, apprehensive to give in to his emotions. They were starting to make him feel weak, and he _refused _to be weak. He was weak enough since he had Rin as an exception.

"Stay as long as you wish. I'm returning home." He turned from her quickly and soon disappeared.

_What was his problem?_ Kagome knew that Sesshomaru's behavior was beyond odd. Never in a million years had she ever expected Sesshomaru to ask her about her feelings for Inuyasha. Then he turned from her so abruptly…as if he was trying to push her away. Was Sesshomaru starting to show concern for Kagome herself, rather than for the information she carried? The idea seemed silly at first, but…why else would he ask her a question like that? Kagome got slight butterflies at the thought of it being true. She too, was finding herself more and more interested in Sesshomaru. She wanted to know what he thought underneath his cold, haughty exterior. They had been meeting so frequently now, was it okay to consider them friends? Or would Sesshomaru just say it was only for the information he wanted?

For now though, she decided to face her dread and head back to the futile era as well.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Distress

"Oh, Kagome, you're back!" Shippo said with glee as Kagome walked into the hut. Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha all turned to look at her.

"Yep, I'm back," Kagome responded cheerfully, careful to avoid looking at Inuyasha. But she couldn't help it; her eyes caught a glimpse of his face for a split second. He seemed nervous in the face.

"Kagome, can I talk to you alone for a minute?" Inuyasha asked, standing up. He needed to apologize. And he also needed to find out why the well didn't work for him after she left. Miroku and Sango glanced at each other uncertainly, but said nothing.

Kagome felt like her heart was becoming netted with anxiety. If she didn't go out and talk with him now, she'd have to later, because Inuyasha would keep bothering her until she listened to what he had to say. She'd rather get it over with, she decided. "Sure," she said halfheartedly.

They walked out to the sacred tree quietly. The long branches towered over them, casting shade against the sun's warm beams. The vibrant green leaves rustled gently as the breeze wafted around them.

"I'm…sorry. For…kissing you like that." Inuyasha stared at the tree while he apologized. He was embarrassed for the way he behaved. "I shouldn't have kissed you and I know that, but in the moment, I was scared to lose you…I knew I was losing you and my mind got the best of me. And I also know that I don't have the right to be scared to lose you, since it was my choices that lead me to it. But I just want you to know that I'm sorry, and nothing like that will ever happen again,"

"I appreciate the apology, and I forgive you. But you can't do this to me anymore. You won't pick me over Kikyo, so you can't expect me to wait around anymore. Sesshomaru was right, I need to learn from this."

Inuyasha's white ears twitched. "Sesshomaru?" His voice raised, and flicker of anger appeared over Inuyasha's face. "He's still been meeting with you? And he gave you _advice_?" The flicker turned into a fire.

_Shit. _Kagome at first regretted that she let that slip but after a moment, she realized that it shouldn't matter if she saw Sesshomaru or not. That was _her _business, not his!

"I can meet with Sesshomaru whenever I want to, and it doesn't concern you!" Kagome yelled.

Then, something else registered in Inuyasha's mind. Kagome had been gone in the feudal era for several days, and he had seen her go. How did Sesshomaru meet with Kagome if she was…

His face became pale. "Did he…travel through the well?"

Kagome bit her lip, not making eye contact. Inuyasha took this as a yes.

"I tried to come after you when you left through the well, but for some reason I wasn't able to," Inuyasha held a growl in his tone. "But now you're telling me that _Sesshomaru_ can go through it!?"

Kagome's eyes grew wide. _Inuyasha wasn't able to travel through the well anymore? _This was a shock…why didn't it let him through, but suddenly Sesshomaru was able to? Sesshomaru had said the well "called" to him…

"I don't know anything more about it than you do," She said defensively.

"Then I'll see if _he _does!" Inuyasha then sprinted away towards the mountains.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried after him, but he was already gone. "Damn it!" She yelled, dashing off the direction Inuyasha went. Sesshomaru didn't know anything either, but that wouldn't stop Inuyasha from picking a fight with him. Someone was going to get hurt if she didn't do something.

* * *

Sesshomaru was out in the large field by the mountain cave, effortlessly hunting food for Rin, when he caught the disturbing presence of his half brother. What did that cross breed want?

"Kagome let it slip that you were able to travel through the well! _How_ the hell did you manage to cross it?" Inuyasha's fists were clenched tightly.

Sesshomaru mentally cursed the miko's blabbermouth for sending this annoyance for him to deal with. "This Sesshomaru is superior to you,"

"So now you're being a smartass? Start talking or I won't show you mercy!" Tetsusaiga was then drawn from its sheath, and it began to accumulate demonic energy.

"You're the one that will need to be shown mercy," Sesshomaru responded darkly as he drew Tenseiga.

* * *

Everything around Kagome was unrecognizable. She had been following what she thought was Inuyasha's direction for 20 minutes now, and not one sign of him or Sesshomaru. It was time to admit it; she was lost.

She'd go back towards home, but she was so deep in the woods now that she wasn't sure which way that was. And Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were probably fighting it out right now; if she didn't find them soon, one of them might end up dead. She had slowed to a walk, she couldn't keep up her stamina for long. This was one of those times she wished she had youkai senses; she'd be able to tell which way Inuyasha went.

"Oww!" Kagome yelped as reaching thorn bush scraped across her arm. She now had a few bleeding scratches. Drat…she didn't have her backpack with her.

A twig snapped a few yards away. Kagome ignored it, continuing on. A few more rustling sounds came from behind the thick bushes and trees. Kagome began to get nervous, and reached over her shoulder instinctively, only to realize there was nothing there. She had forgotten her bow and arrows back at the hut, too.

"Hello?" She called timidly, and waited. The noise had stopped, and nothing answered her.

_Guess it was nothing. _Kagome turned away and began walking again.

Rapidly, something launched out from behind Kagome and seized her body. Kagome screamed loudly, struggling to break free. All she could see of the attacker was the pale green skin of the youkai's arms, which bound her tightly. The youkai swiftly used its other hand to cover Kagome's mouth, muffling her screams for help. The creature growled viciously into Kagome's ear, the sharp claws digging into her left cheek. Kagome felt the wet sensation blood beginning to draw.

"_Someone, help!" _Kagome was starting to panic; the youkai was too strong. It took off, bringing her in its grip to a dark, rocky terrain full of mangled bodies. _Oh god…no! I'm not ready to die!_

The youkai threw her onto the unwelcoming ground, causing her to land on her shoulder and hip bone hard. Large bruises would appear hours later, Kagome knew. Looking up from the ground, she finally saw the frightening sight before her. The male youkai had crimson red eyes and razor sharp fangs that dripped with saliva. Kagome was…terrified. She was completely alone, and at the mercy of a youkai that intended to kill her.

* * *

Sesshomaru dodged yet another one of Tetsusaiga's attacks, and Inuyasha counteracted Sesshomaru's as well. They were basically getting nowhere. There were large holes now in the field, caused by Sesshomaru's Meido Zangetsuha. Wide claw-like crevasses were also carved in the earth from Inuyasha's Wind Scar. They were at a standoff now, staring at each other hatefully.

Then…Sesshomaru smelled something…extremely unsettling. It was Kagome's blood. Without another second wasted, Sesshomaru was gone, no hesitation.

"What the hell, you bastard?!" Had that asshole really just fled from their fight? After a few moments, Inuyasha froze. Kagome's blood…?

"_**Kagome**_!" He screamed, using every ounce of his physical strength to get to her as fast as possible. Damn it, damn it, **damn it**! Why did that stupid girl follow him when she knew she couldn't catch up? But the true question he knew was: how could he leave her like that so foolishly, knowing she would chase after him to stop the fighting?

Sesshomaru did not think. He could not let himself start to think about what might be happening. He could not let himself visualize her soft brown eyes and small, pink lips contorted with pain. He could not think about what violent things he would do to the creature that harmed the miko. All he knew right now was that he needed to get to Kagome, _fast_. He didn't know how, but he immediately knew she was in danger the moment he smelled her blood.

He whirred past the forest so quickly that it became a blur of green and tan. Finally he came upon the shadowed grey area of rock that was saturated in Kagome's smell; along with a demonic aura. The aura wasn't very powerful; at least not compared to his own. Sesshomaru's exceedingly perceptive eyes saw every detail of Kagome and the youkai as he plunged toward them from the sky. Kagome had several bleeding cuts; on her face, arms, and across her back. The youkai had Kagome's blood on his claws. But in seconds, it was the youkai's blood that would be on _his_ hands.

Sesshomaru extended his poison claws into severing whips, slashing the youkai's body to shreds before the youkai could even react. Pieces of his limbs dropped to the ground with a thud.

He looked to Kagome, who was lying on her side, too injured to move much. Her eyes met his, still in shock and in fear over what had just happened. Sesshomaru did not hold in himself this time. He went over to her and slowly, and gently, lifted her off of the ground and into his arms. Kagome never noticed before how pleasant Sesshomaru smelled. It was a musk that reminded her of winter; the cold smell of fresh spearmint. Kagome weakly clenched Sesshomaru's clothes, pulling herself as close to him as she could. She felt…safe now. It wasn't Inuyasha that protected her this time…it was Sesshomaru.

"I…I was just…so…" Kagome tried her best to keep herself from crying. But the lump in her throat was overwhelming. The entire situation was overwhelming.

Sesshomaru didn't say anything to her, but Kagome noticed that he held her a little tighter to himself. And this made her feel…warm.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha's highly concerned voice came to their ears. "You need to get medical aid immediately," He told her, examining her body. The gashes in her skin were deep, and could easily get infected. Her blood was staining Sesshomaru's clothes in large blots. Though Inuyasha was greatly aware of the fact that Sesshomaru was holding Kagome - which was extremely abnormal - he tried his best to keep himself controlled for Kagome's sake.

Kagome looked over at Inuyasha. He looked…different somehow. He looked physically the same…but he also looked…different. Kagome couldn't put her finger on it.

"I will have her wounds tended to," Sesshomaru announced. Sesshomaru felt Kagome's heart rate pick up. Was she pleased that he'd said this?

Inuyasha eyed Sesshomaru suspiciously. "Since when do _you_ know where or how to have a humans wounds tended to?"

"We do not have time to bicker about this," Sesshomaru said firmly, "unless you want her to die from blood loss," Sesshomaru actually had heard of a human village that was well known for their monk's great healing powers. He took interest in the location incase Rin ever needed their monk's assistance.

Inuyasha knew Sesshomaru was right. They needed to act; there was no time to waste. "I'm not leaving you alone with her, so lead the way,"

Sesshomaru quickly ascended into the sky with Kagome in his arms, followed by Inuyasha on the ground. It would take about twenty minutes to get to the place Sesshomaru knew of that could heal Kagome, but with Sesshomaru's determination, he could make it there in ten.

He looked down at her. She was looking weaker, as more blood seeped through his clothes.

And ten minutes later, they arrived. They were at a large village that surrounded a palace; the palace was their destination. Sesshomaru did not waste a moment; Kagome was already starting to slip out of consciousness.

Sesshomaru burst through the doors of the palace, surprising the man and woman who were lounging in the comfort of their home. Inuyasha barged in after Sesshomaru. The man's squinted eyes landed on the injured girl in Sesshomaru's arms, now realizing the reason for the intrusion.

Sesshomaru placed Kagome down gently in front of the man. "Help her,"

The simple looking woman looked to the man with concern for the girl, encouraging him to help. The man quickly kneeled beside Kagome, rolling her to her side, and placing both of his hands on Kagome's deeply gashed back. Kagome gritted her teeth from the pain of the contact. The man closed his eyes, concentrating. Then there was a strong light that came from his palms, and the gashes slowly began to mend the skin back together. Then they were gone, without even a scar. Then the man placed his hands on her cheek and arms, healing the injuries there as well. The dark bruises that had already begun to form were also fading. Kagome felt…tired, but other than that, fine.

Sesshomaru felt relief, but he still worried for her…she still looked weak and her skin was too pale. Inuyasha felt the same as Sesshomaru did.

The man looked from Sesshomaru to Inuyasha, and back again. "She's going to be alright. She needs to eat immediately to help sustain her after the blood loss," He then looked to the woman, who then nodded and got up to head to another room.

"Thank you for helping her, I've never seen anything like that before. You must be some kind of monk, huh?" Inuyasha had no idea who this man was, but his skill for healing was impressive.

"I am Kimogoru, and yes, I am a monk. My wife, Saiyo, is bringing out food for your friend here."

Sesshomaru's eyes immediately glinted with recognition, awestruck. This was the same monk that eventually destroys the evil youkai. In the story, the monk had the burning desire to kill of evil youkai after his wife had died. But his wife was alive. So it hasn't happened yet…the tragic death.

"And who might you two be?" Kimogoru asked, finding it strange that it was two youkai that brought in a human girl.

"That's Inuyasha, and that's Sesshomaru," Kagome pointed to them as she spoke. "And I'm Kagome. Thank you so much for your help…I'm so grateful to you,"

"Don't waste your energy, speak after you've eaten and rested," Saiyo appeared from the curtains with a tray full of food. She lifted Kagome into sitting position. "Eat as much as you can," She told Kagome softly, feeding her roasted fish, vegetables, and rice.

Inuyasha was becoming more and more aware of Sesshomaru's odd behavior towards Kagome. It was like he _cared _about her or something. Sesshomaru bolted to Kagome's protection as soon as he smelled her blood. And then he took her to have her wounds mended. And Sesshomaru was able to teleport through the well to Kagome's time, while he was now unable to. The pit of Inuyasha's stomach felt unsettled. The thought of Sesshomaru starting to care for Kagome made him more than troubled.

Sesshomaru didn't give a second thought to his sense of Inuyasha's growing hostility. All he wanted to focus on was Kagome. The food should help her body to produce more blood.

"You are free to stay the night here," Saiyo smiled kindly, but Kimogoru looked to her with an expression of being uncomfortable. Saiyo placed her hand on Kimogoru's comfortingly, and then he seemed more assured.

"Yes, feel free to stay," Kimogoru agreed.

"I'll be staying here with Kagome, but he'll be leaving," Inuyasha's voice was hard and demanding as his eyes shifted to Sesshomaru.

"No, I want Sesshomaru to stay," Kagome said meekly after swallowing a clump of rice.

"What?" Inuyasha snapped, appalled. Suddenly he felt even more troubled than before. There was no way…that Kagome could be interested in Sesshomaru. There just wasn't. She was in love with _him,_ so there was no way Kagome could begin caring for that cold, arrogant bastard. So why did she want him to stay?

Sesshomaru was pleased by her statement, because he wanted to stay with her until she finished resting and was sure she was fine. And it also pleased him to piss off Inuyasha.

Inuyasha saw Sesshomaru's slight smirk, and the anger welled up in his chest. _Smug bastard._

"Your hospitality is much appreciated," Sesshomaru told the Saiyo. This woman would be torn apart by youkai in the future…but now, he felt indebted to her and her husband for their help.

"You're most welcome. Will you please carry Kagome to that room on the right, down the hall? It's our guest room, where you may all make yourselves at home." Saiyo smiled genuinely.

Sesshomaru lifted Kagome into his arms again, but this time, Kagome had the strength to wrap her arms around Sesshomaru's neck. Inuyasha burned with jealousy, wanting to tear off Sesshomaru's limbs. But for Kagome's sake, he kept himself controlled.

Inside the room were four futons, one of which Sesshomaru placed Kagome in.

"Rest," He told her firmly, taking a seat on the hardwood floor rather than on a futon.

Inuyasha went over to Kagome, and brushed Kagome's bangs to the side and leaned close to her face. "I'm sorry I went off like that, leaving you vulnerable to danger…I feel like all I've been doing lately is apologizing to you," His voice and expression couldn't have been more sincere, and Kagome knew that.

Sesshomaru was irritated with the half breed's closeness with Kagome, that sprout of jealousy arising.

"It's okay, really, it wasn't your fault," Kagome felt uncomfortable with his face being so close to hers. For some reason, it bothered her that Sesshomaru was watching. She had told Sesshomaru about Inuyasha kissing her, and he knew that she had feelings for Inuyasha. But now, she wanted Sesshomaru to see that she was trying to change that. And with Inuyasha being so close, it might send the wrong message…wait, why was she caring so much about what Sesshomaru thought?

"I'm going to go ahead and rest now," Kagome hinted, hoping Inuyasha would back away. He lingered a moment longer, his golden eyes shifting away momentarily.

Sesshomaru's jaw tightened as his brother returned the smug look he had given to Inuyasha a bit ago.

Inuyasha then pulled back, and went and laid on the futon next to Kagome's.

Kagome drifted to sleep surprisingly fast, leaving Inuyasha and Sesshomaru in a weird silence. The two half-brother's had never spent this long in each other's presence without trying to trade punches.

* * *

**I'm so tired right now...I stayed up super late to finish this chapter. *Yawns*  
Well, I hope it was a good. Thanks for pointing out my spelling error for "feudal"! I can't believe I misspelled that and didn't even notice. I guess since my auto correct didn't count "futile" as wrong (since its a real but completely different word), I didn't catch it. I appreciate it, cause I hate spelling errors! Anyways, I'm so happy that I have so many people liking this story so far. You guys are awesome, seriously. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Deeper

"…"

"…"

"…"

Inuyasha's patience was, of course, the first to snap. "Why the hell are you here, acting like you care?" He yelled, and immediately, both he and Sesshomaru whipped their heads in Kagome's direction. She had stirred a little in the small futon, but then she was still.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "Shut the hell up," He said in a low voice.

Inuyasha glared back just as hard. "You've been hanging around her way too often for me to think that you're just using her for information about the future,"

So Inuyasha was beginning to notice. Maybe he wasn't as thick skulled as Sesshomaru had thought. However, even Sesshomaru was unsure of why he wanted to be around Kagome so much. He was beginning to understand; he knew he liked her company. But what he didn't understand was _why_ he liked it.

"Kagome does not have to see me if she doesn't wish to," Was all he could say back. Which Sesshomaru knew would be enough to make Inuyasha brood over in irritation.

Like Sesshomaru had planned, Inuyasha was now pondering his words. It was true, if Kagome wanted to reject Sesshomaru's company, she would have. So why hadn't she? Inuyasha cursed himself for ever leaving Kagome alone, and not stopping Sesshomaru from hanging around Kagome. He grew more jealous the more he thought about it.

"Kagome is _mine_, so stay away from her," Inuyasha growled, still being careful not to yell like he did before.

Sesshomaru's eyes grew darker. "And that's the attitude that will drive Kagome away from you," He said gravely.

"Humph," Inuyasha huffed angrily and crossed his arms, ignoring his older brother's comment. "You don't know anything about Kagome and I," he continued, "she's in love with me,"

Sesshomaru didn't feel angry, he felt pity. Pity for Kagome, who thought so much more of Inuyasha than he deserved. "This Sesshomaru knows Kagome's desire to end her feelings for you. You will not be able to manipulate her much longer,"

"You're insinuating that I'm manipulating her? My feelings for Kagome are real!"

"I'm sure that's what she thought too, until you left her for Kikyo,"

A wave of guilt washed over Inuyasha, but his anger was further provoked as well. "_Why_ the hell do you even care!?" He yelled, and this time, Kagome did wake up.

"What's going on?" Kagome moaned, rubbing her eyes with her fists as she sat up in her futon. Her eyelids drooped sleepily as she focused on Inuyasha, his gold eyes filled with fury. Sesshomaru didn't like that she was awake, she had only been asleep for an hour. But she already looked healthier.

"I-I'm sorry I woke you, Kagome," Inuyasha apologized, the anger leaving him.

Kagome looked over at Sesshomaru. He was sitting cross legged on the wood floor with his back leaned against the wall. Relief settled in over the fact that he was still there, watching over her. She blushed slightly at the memory of her saying that she wanted him to stay.

"You two were fighting again," This was a statement, not a question. Kagome sighed. "You're brothers. You need to learn to tolerate each other," She shook her head disapprovingly. But asking them to get along would be like telling Miroku to stop flirting with women; it just wouldn't happen.

"How are you feeling?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I'm feeling a lot better. Kimogoru's powers are strong," Kagome sent a private, knowing glance at Sesshomaru. He had been thinking about that as well. "Inuyasha, can you do me a favor?"

Inuyasha's ears tilted curiously.

"Will you please go back to Kaede's and let Sango and Miroku know that we're both okay? I'll be fine here now, I'll have Sesshomaru bring me back a little later," she said, looking as innocent as possible. She knew Inuyasha would not be happy with her request. But she wanted to be alone with Sesshomaru for a bit to thank him for saving her.

Inuyasha's lips formed a white line. He wanted to give in to his desire to refuse. But Kagome was looking at him with such reliance that he didn't want to upset her. "Fine," He said, unable to hide the resentment in his voice. He got up without looking at either of them, and walked out.

Kagome felt bad about it, knowing that he would be holding a grudge. She should give him more credit, because Inuyasha had been waiting with her too. But talking to Sesshomaru in front of Inuyasha was…just awkward. She didn't want to have to walk on eggshells with her words. Kagome waited a few minutes to speak, making sure Inuyasha was no longer near.

"First, I wanted to thank you…for protecting me," Kagome smiled at him tenderly. Sesshomaru nodded, keeping his expression blank. But underneath, the smile she was sending him made his heart feel calm. It was like her smile made him at peace. These feelings…

"If it weren't for you, I most likely wouldn't have made it," Kagome's smile then turned down, her expression becoming solemn. "Second…what do you think we should do about Saiyo?"

Sesshomaru knew exactly what she meant. Kagome wanted to change Saiyo's fate. He too, had thought about this when they discovered their identities.

"Altering the future could be dangerous,"

Kagome knew he was right. If they were to warn Kimogoru and Saiyo of her future, the Dawnlight may never come into existence, and evil youkai would roam the lands forever. The world she came from could be drastically changed. Would the people she loved in the 21st century be threatened by youkai like the feudal era? Her mom, grandpa, and Souta…her choice to save Saiyo might cause the world they lived in to be completely different.

"I don't know what to do," Kagome's brown eyes grew sad as she looked away from Sesshomaru to her lap. She wanted Saiyo to live. The woman was kind and so was her husband. But if she warned them of the devastating future that beheld them, then…

"I thought I heard your voice, how are you feeling?" Saiyo peered at Kagome from behind the door frame. _Speak of the devil_, Kagome thought.

"I'm feeling a lot better now, thank you," Kagome bowed in gratitude. "I think we'll probably leave soon,"

"You've only rested an hour! Please, I insist you stay the night here!"

"Are you sure? I feel like I've burdened you enough,"

"Really, please stay," Saiyo became almost pressing on the matter.

Sesshomaru observed Saiyo. _Hm._

"Well…okay, sure. I'll stay." Kagome smiled, only agreeing since she seemed so persistent. Saiyo's eyes lit up and she smiled.

"I'm so glad! I've been getting lonely around here, so it's nice to have a guest in the house," She turned to Sesshomaru. "Will you be staying as well?" She asked.

Sesshomaru cast a hard stare at Saiyo. "Yes," He affirmed, and Saiyo's smile suddenly seemed tense.

"Good," she said cheerfully. "I'll have breakfast prepared in the morning, so please join me in the dining room. Kimogoru is away at the moment, but he'll be home in a few hours, so if you need anything just come find me," And then Saiyo left.

"She's so nice," Kagome stated. Saiyo opened their home to them, and was taking good care of Kagome, making sure she was well fed and rested. But she knew Inuyasha was probably waiting for her anxiously at Kaede's.

Sesshomaru heard Kagome sigh.

"What?" He asked.

"Oh, it's nothing…" Kagome played with the ends of her black hair.

Sesshomaru waited. He knew she would say what she was thinking anyway.

"Well, it's just that Inuyasha will be furious after he finds out I stayed here, you know, alone…with you," Kagome continued to play with her hair, avoiding looking at Sesshomaru. She was pretty sure she was blushing.

Sesshomaru smirked slightly. Did being alone with him make her nervous? It seemed so, since her fidgeting and evasion of eye contact were obvious signs of nervousness. "Does it matter if the hanyou is upset?"

Sesshomaru had brought up a good point. Kagome told Inuyasha she was going to move on from him. She no longer had to not do something just because Inuyasha would be uncomfortable with it. If she wanted to stay with Sesshomaru for the night - Kagome felt her blush deepen - then she could. "You're right,"

"You're acting as though being alone with this Sesshomaru means we would be mating,"

Kagome finally looked at him, open mouthed. Her face turned bright red, and she turned away again quickly after witnessing the smirk on Sesshomaru's face. She stretched out on her stomach and buried her face into the covers of the futon, trying to hide her massive amounts of embarrassment.

"I have not! I can't believe you just said that!" She yelled, her voice muffled from the cloth. She'd never felt so embarrassed before! Even when Inuyasha had seen her naked! Much to his dismay, of course. He had stumbled upon her once or twice while she bathed in the hot springs…but he'd paid. Oh, he had paid. She'd said 'oswari' so many times, it must have been a record.

Sesshomaru was entirely too amused. The miko's reaction was humorous; he didn't find himself humored very often.

"Hey, why…" Kagome peeked over at Sesshomaru from the covers shyly. "Why do youkai call it…mating?" She asked. She had always wondered that. Most youkai didn't have husbands or wives, they had mates. Was there a difference between the two?

Sesshomaru found himself surprised that she was him this. "Mating merely means agreeing to respect each other and bear younglings. It does not necessarily mean they must stay together for life. Much like animal natures,"

That explained why Sesshomaru's father didn't feel the need to stay loyal to Sesshomaru's mother. He had met another full Inu youkai like himself, and mated with her. But it was different with Inuyasha's mother; he had fallen in love with her.

"…I see," Kagome was still a little flustered. Here she was, discussing mating with Sesshomaru. _Sesshomaru_, of all people! And Sesshomaru didn't even seem the least bit embarrassed by it like she was. He was unpredictable, but that's what made her so interested.

"Mating is a part of life," He told her.

"I know it's a part of life, but when you talk about it so casually, it makes it seem like mating isn't a big deal," Kagome argued.

"Do not misunderstand; choosing a proper mate is not taken lightly," Sesshomaru explained. "Youkai will not mate with just anyone. They must meet each other's breeding standards,"

Kagome tilted her head, interested. "Breeding standards?"

"Yes."

"What are your breeding standards?"

"They are too high for any female to meet,"

Kagome wasn't surprised. Sesshomaru acted like he was better than everyone; so of course he would fail at finding someone he would consider equal.

"No one would want to mate with you anyway," Kagome closed her eyes and rested her head on the futon. "You're too self-important,"

"No, this Sesshomaru _is _superior, miko. And do not forget that," He growled slightly.

"That attitude is exactly what I'm talking about," Kagome grinned a little. Sesshomaru glared at Kagome's unaware face. For now, he'd let her statement slide.

Kagome kept her eyes closed, feeling the sleepiness begin to settle in again. "Sesshomaru?"

"Yes,"

Kagome liked that she was getting to know him. They were starting to have more personal conversations. "You're not as cold as you act,"

Sesshomaru thought about this. Though he wished it wasn't true, she was right. He had never, ever been as soft as he was now. Kagome was starting to nudge her way into his life, just like Rin had. And she didn't even realize it. He wanted Kagome to be in his life, in some shape or form. She had a pure, strong heart, she was fun, and she was…pretty. Sesshomaru never would have expected himself to be attracted to Kagome, of all people. Her smile was warm, her skin was pale and soft, and her enticing brown eyes were filled with benevolence. Her straight midnight hair that curved out down her back was silky. And her body was perfectly proportioned; nothing was too big or too small.

...Shit. Did he really just think about Kagome's body? Sesshomaru brought his hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. What the hell was wrong with him?

Sesshomaru waited until Kagome had drifted off to sleep, and closed his eyes as well.

* * *

The room was still, except for the quiet whirr of calm breathing.

Saiyo poked her head into the room. The youkai called Sesshomaru was asleep, and the miko was as well. She tip toed into the room…the other half youkai had left, but she had to be careful not to wake the full youkai. Saiyo crept close to the miko…her spiritual powers were strong…and Saiyo desired them. To consume her and her powers. Long, sharp fangs extended from her teeth. The girl was completely oblivious…

"You did considerably well at disguising yourself,"

Saiyo whipped around, and Sesshomaru's piercing butterscotch irises were on her. "You…!" She hissed, her human skin beginning to fall off in clumps. Underneath, Saiyo was a bat demon. Bright red skin and black wings, large fangs and black eyes…a blood sucking demon in search of power.

Suddenly the kind, sweet voice Saiyo had was no longer there. It was replaced by a harsh, ragged, and demonic tone. "You saw through me!"

Kagome awoke, her vision settling on the creature beside her. _What!? A youkai? _Kagome saw the flesh down on the floor. _No…Saiyo!?_

Sesshomaru slashed his sword, "Meido Zangetsuha!" A circle opened up on the demon, sucking it into the dark space full of stars and galaxies. The opening to hell.

Then it closed; and Kagome was safe again. Sesshomaru had caught a glimpse of the youkai's aura when Saiyo became insistent on Kagome staying the night. What bothered Sesshomaru was how he wasn't able to detect it before. Saiyo had smelled human…but that was because the youkai had been using Saiyo's real flesh. She had been killed by the youkai, her body being used as a puppet for the youkai.

"What is going on here!?" Kimogoru rushed into the room, seeing Kagome and Sesshomaru; and a pile of his wife's dead flesh.

"_What did you do to her_!?" He flung forward at Sesshomaru, who still had his sword raised.

"It's not what you think!" Kagome yelled, horrified. She feared for Sesshomaru, feeling the overwhelming urge to risk her own safety for him. But she couldn't move quick enough.

Sesshomaru quickly dodged Kimogoru and grabbed him by the neck. He applied pressure to the delicate spot, rendering Kimogoru instantly unconscious, but not harming him.

"Did you kill him?" Kagome cried, now starting to panic. No, Sesshomaru wouldn't kill someone innocent, would he?

"He is too emotionally distraught to believe the truth. We should leave now,"

"But-"

Sesshomaru swept her into his arms and fled out of Kimogoru's home. They needed to be gone when he awoke. Sesshomaru wondered why the youkai didn't kill Kimogoru, since his spiritual power was immense. She was able to live with him, covering any suspicions from the villagers…that made sense. She was free to hunt and kill when she had the chance, knowing that being disguised as a high monk's wife would ensure her safety. The fake Saiyo needed Kimogoru to keep her act up. But…Kimogoru didn't sense her demonic aura through her flesh. It was most likely because he was a mere human; regardless of his spiritual powers.

"But Sesshomaru, he'll come looking for us. He thinks _we_ killed his wife," Kagome held on tightly to Sesshomaru's neck.

"Perhaps by then he will listen," He said, not concerned. It was the way things were, and it was not his fault that his wife had already died and the body was manipulated by a bat youkai. Kimogoru could believe him or decide not to. It didn't change the truth.

Kagome felt her heart deepen with sadness as she thought about the pain Kimogoru would be soon facing. But Sesshomaru was right; they couldn't do anything about it right now. She felt stupid for not realizing that Saiyo was just a cloak for a youkai.

Kagome leaned her head onto Sesshomaru's shoulder as they bolted through the woods swiftly. He was so muscular…it felt as though Kagome was holding onto a rock. She couldn't help but breathe in his entoxicating spearmint-like aroma.

"You should join a track team…" Kagome commented as she realized how fast they were going. When he carried her before, she was too out of it to notice how quickly he moved.

_Track team? What was this girl talking about?_ Sesshomaru decided not to ask.

"Sesshomaru, thank you again," Kagome squeezed him a bit closer. "That's twice," She smiled up at him. He looked down at her, their eyes meeting for a moment. But what Kagome saw was not a 'you're welcome'.

He glanced back up, his facial expression stone solid. "Exactly. It's a nuisance,"

"Oh," Kagome's heart dropped a little. "I'm sorry…"

Sesshomaru noticed her grip loosen a little. He didn't respond back. He was…upset. No, not upset…concerned. Kagome had been endangered twice in one day. It…scared him. Was her life always in jeopardy like this on a daily basis? He was lucky he had been there to protect her both times today. But what about when he wasn't around?

Sesshomaru started to fill with gratitude when he realized it had been Inuyasha in the past that had protected her. Funny, this was the first time he'd ever felt gratitude towards the hanyou in his entire life.

Kagome occasionally glanced up at Sesshomaru. Was she really a nuisance to him? For some reason, this upset her more than it should have. She didn't want Sesshomaru to think she was just a bother.

Within twenty minutes, they arrived back at Kaede's village. Sesshomaru set her on her feet, and Kagome smoothed out her green skirt, still mulling over Sesshomaru's comment.

"Even if I'm a nuisance, I still am very grateful to you and I'm in your debt," Kagome bowed to him slightly. Sesshomaru found this odd. Why was she all of the sudden acting formal? She must have misunderstood. He hadn't meant for her to think _she _was a nuisance; dealing with youkai that wanted to kill her was.

"Kagome," he stepped closer to her, and without thinking, reached his hand past Kagome's ear and slid his fingers through a soft lock of her long hair. Her heart rate increased, and Sesshomaru saw the blood rush to her cheeks.

"Sesshomaru…?" Her brown eyes filled with confusion, but…she was also kind of enchanted. He was looking at her, and for the first time, his eyes seemed soft. She felt drawn in to him…

The moment was quick to disappear, and he retracted. He put up his walls again and became the same expressionless Sesshomaru.

"You should return home and check to see if the future has been altered," Sesshomaru told her. He mentally cursed himself for what he had just done. His heart was becoming weaker every second he spent with the miko. This was not good.

"O-okay…" Kagome slowly came out of the daze Sesshomaru had unintentionally put her in. Had he just…charmed her? That seemed like the right word. Charmed.

"Um, what if there _are_ youkai there? Inuyasha apparently can't travel through the well anymore, but you can, so…will you come with me?"

Sesshomaru nodded once. His mind was still on what he'd just done, however. Why had he done that?

"But, first I have to talk with Inuyasha and the others, so let's meet by the bone eaters well tomorrow morning,"

Sesshomaru nodded once more, and flew off.

Kagome watched him go, and sighed. Was she starting to develop…feelings for Sesshomaru? Ever since the day he saw her leap into the well, she'd been experiencing flickers of emotions that she usually only felt for Inuyasha. He had sparked her interest, but...was there something more to it than that?

* * *

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	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Truth

"Kagome! Where have you been?" Miroku, Sango, and Shippo gathered around Kagome as she met them in the small hut.

Kagome blinked, confused. "What do you mean?" Kagome looked around the room, but Inuyasha wasn't there. "Didn't Inuyasha come back here earlier?"

"No, you're the last one to have seen him, remember? When he asked to speak to you outside," Miroku pointed out.

Inuyasha hadn't returned? She had specifically asked him to so that Sango, Miroku, and Shippo wouldn't be worried, yet he didn't show up? This left a weird feeling in the pit of Kagome's stomach. She began to worry that maybe he had gotten hurt, and wasn't able to make it back. Kagome knew Inuyasha could fend for himself, but…what if Naraku had gotten to him? He was alone…Naraku could have used this opportunity to his advantage.

Sango seemed to understand what Kagome was thinking; if Kagome had to ask them where Inuyasha was, then it was obvious that he wasn't where he was supposed to be.

"Kagome, first fill us in on what we missed," Miroku asked.

Kagome then proceeded to tell Miroku, Sango, and Shippo everything about what had happened within the time frame from when she went outside to speak with Inuyasha to when Sesshomaru brought her back from Kimogoru's. She told them about how Sesshomaru had been able to meet her in her own time. She told them about Inuyasha not being able to transport through it anymore. She told them about her being attacked by a youkai while trying to stop Inuyasha from fighting Sesshomaru, and how Sesshomaru came to her rescue and brought her to Kimogoru's. And Saiyo being a youkai and how Kimogoru now thinks that she and Sesshomaru had killed his wife.

However, Kagome did not mention her sprouting feelings for Sesshomaru. She didn't mention how she loved the way he held her in his arms when he carried her. She didn't mention how much she enjoyed listening to his deep, masculine voice. How being around him made her feel a lot less sad about Inuyasha's feelings for Kikyo.

"That's definitely an interesting turn of events…you and Sesshomaru seem to be getting along rather well," Miroku eyed Kagome, not trying to hide his interest in the matter. Kagome looked away quickly from Miroku. It was hard to keep things from him and Sango; they always knew when something was up.

"I have to agree…and why is Sesshomaru suddenly able to go to your time now, but now Inuyasha can't? There has to be a reason," Sango crossed her arms as her thoughts began to grow deeper.

"Can we talk about this later? We should make sure Inuyasha's okay," Kagome picked up her arrows and bow.

"You're right. Let's go find him," Sango linked her arm around Kagome's.

Miroku nodded, "Inuyasha probably fine, but we should look for him in case he isn't,"

"Inuyasha is always a hot head. I wouldn't be surprised if he got into some kind of fight," Shippo huffed.

The group headed outside, then realized that they were unsure of where to start looking. Inuyasha could be…anywhere. They didn't really have any hint of which direction Inuyasha would be in.

"Should we split up?" Miroku asked, glancing from Kagome to Sango.

Kagome hesitated, unsure. "Well…" She didn't have to think for long, though.

Inuyasha landed near them. He seemed fine; no blood on his fire rat robes or anything, but his expression seemed remote.

"We we're just leaving to come find you," Miroku told him as the four of them gathering around Inuyasha.

"Well I guess you don't have to now," He looked at Kagome. So Sesshomaru had brought her back. How nice. Inuyasha attempted to push through them and continue on his way.

"Where were you? Sango asked, blocking Inuyasha from walking past them. His dark eyebrows furrowed in irritation.

"With Kikyo," He looked directly at Kagome. His tongue seemed to spit out the words with a hint of malice.

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all grimaced, and Sango almost regretting that she asked…the three of them peered over at Kagome. But to their surprise, Kagome didn't seem to look that hurt. She seemed a tad bothered, but mostly, she seemed indifferent.

"We're glad you're okay," Kagome smiled slightly, "You had us worried for a minute,"

"Hmph, like you'd care if I got injured, you'd be too busy hanging out with Sesshomaru," He was no longer able to hold his temper. He was sick of Kagome being comfortable around Sesshomaru, and of Sesshomaru being comfortable around Kagome. It made him absolutely sick. Kagome even had the nerve to send him away to be alone with that arrogant bastard! That was too far…it made him feel like Kagome no longer wanted _him_. His mouth took over before he could stop himself.

"You and Sesshomaru have been spending way too much time together, and _you're_ acting like you _like_ it or something! You tell me to leave so you can be alone with him? What the hell's that about?! And that cocky asshole keeps taunting me over things but you take _his_ side!"

Kagome went from trying to control her feelings to complete outrage by the end of Inuyasha's rant. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo felt out of place, being in the middle of what was about to be a full blown argument. They tip-toed away, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha to their business.

"You hypocritical bastard! You left me for Kikyo before I even started meeting Sesshomaru! You broke my heart, Inuyasha, you _knew_ I loved you and you broke it anyway! What I have with Sesshomaru isn't love, but it isn't your business anymore, even if it happened to turn out like that! The moment you chose Kikyo over me - AGAIN, by the way - I chose to move on! _**I**_ make my own decisions, and I don't care if they make you upset!"

"Then what if I choose you?" Inuyasha strode very close to Kagome, scooping the back of her head into his hand, pulling her face nearer to his. His eyes pleaded with her, begging her to stay captivated by him.

A month ago, Kagome would have done anything to hear these words come out of Inuyasha's mouth. She would have been weak at the knees at the closeness of Inuyasha's lips to hers, and she would have told him that choosing her would be the best decision he would ever make. However, this wasn't the case now. Kagome did still yearn for these words, but they didn't sway her. Not this time.

"I don't choose you, not anymore," Kagome pulled away from Inuyasha, leaving him stunned and hurt. "You don't mean it. You're only saying that because you're afraid that you might be making the wrong choice by being with Kikyo. You're second guessing because you know that the window of opportunity with me is closing. I think your heart is telling you to be with Kikyo, or else you wouldn't have ended up hurting me so many times in the past. Think about this, who is it you first picture yourself marrying one day?"

Inuyasha never saw it like that until she pointed it out. Maybe he _was _just second guessing because she'd no longer be waiting for him anymore. He was happy with Kikyo but…Kagome made him happy too, just in a different way. Kikyo was more of an intense, romantic love that was full of passion. With Kagome, it was a love that was forged by constant camaraderie; they pushed each other's buttons and bickered like an old couple, but they knew each other well. By comparing the two loves, it made sense that Kikyo would be the one he ended up marrying someday. When he envisioned his wife, his first thought went to Kikyo. When he thought of his best friend, he thought first of Kagome.

Suddenly, it just clicked. It all fell into place, and he felt so sure of his answer. "Kikyo," He told her.

Kagome knew that he would come to that conclusion, so it didn't sting as much to hear him say it. "Exactly. So you can't be jealous over Sesshomaru,"

Inuyasha growled automatically at his brother's name. "Are you getting feelings for him?"

She hesitated. She wasn't even sure herself if they were definite feelings. But…there was no denying that she was attracted to him. He was so mysterious, and she wanted to know more.

"…No, were just talking,"

"Well if you don't for him then he has them for you," It was obvious that Inuyasha was more than bothered by his insight.

Kagome's stomach fluttered. "What?"

"Sesshomaru wouldn't be hanging around you so much if he didn't, he's not the type to go out of his way to see someone unless something _else_ is going on," He began seething.

Was it possible that Sesshomaru was getting the same kind of feelings she had? Kagome felt doubt, but what Inuyasha had just said was true. But then again the reason was just because of the information she knew about the future era, right? Why was her heart racing at the possibility that it might not be the reason?

"Why does it matter, Inuyasha? So what if what you're right? Why can't you just accept it?"

"Because he doesn't deserve you! He's _Sesshomaru_! He doesn't care about anything but himself!"

"That's not true. Sesshomaru protected me from that youkai, and again after you left,"

Inuyasha's eyes grew wide, "After I left?" He repeated. Kagome nodded.

"Saiyo ended up being a bat demon. Sesshomaru sensed it, and killed her before she could attack me,"

_Well that's just great. Sesshomaru ends up being the hero twice._ Inuyasha burned with annoyance. He was grateful for Kagome's safety, but that was all.

"He's not as bad as you think he is, Inuyasha. He can be rude, stubborn, and egotistical, but he can also be kind of selfless sometimes,"

"Keh, whatever. If you end up hurt because of him, don't say I didn't warn you," Inuyasha dodged around Kagome and headed inside Kaede's.

Kagome sighed, and followed him into the hut. Sango saw the weary look on her face.

"Kagome, let's go to the river and bathe, I don't want to go alone,"

"Alright," Kagome answered, and Sango stood up.

"You don't mind if I join, do you, ladies?" Miroku grinned slyly, looking Sango's body up and down.

"Baka!" Sango punched Miroku over the head hard.

"Let's go," Sango pulled Kagome outside with her, and they headed to the river.

* * *

"We've been staying here in this cave for a long time now, Lord Sesshomaru…" Jaken mumbled to his Lord, who leaned against the mouth of the cave, staring out into the distance. He had a good view of the land, being higher up. Sesshomaru accepted the disturbance by Jaken graciously; all he was able to think about lately was…

"Don't you think we should keep moving? We don't usually stay in one place for this long," Jaken was hesitant in his words, trying to be careful not to say something to upset Sesshomaru.

"You may leave whenever you wish, Jaken," Sesshomaru bellowed, not bothering to look at the green youkai.

"Er, oh right, but I will wait faithfully until you're ready," Jaken bowed to him, and trotted deeper into the cave over to Rin.

Rin was content here in the cave; Sesshomaru had carved through the rock with his claws to make it homier for her. He smoothed out the rough parts, shaped chairs for sitting, and even brought animal skins for bedding. When Sesshomaru was busy, Jaken would be the one to fetch food, and Rin would cook it over a small fire. They had made a cozy little home out of the cave, and Rin didn't mind it one bit. However, Rin had noticed that Sesshomaru had an irritable attitude each time he returned from an outing. He wouldn't be as still as he normally was; he would move randomly. He'd even let a low snarl slip out once, for no reason she knew of.

Sesshomaru tried to focus on the scenery outside of the cave; the tall, grassy plains that turned into forest land miles out, the tranquil trickling sound of the wide river that snaked around the side of the mountain, the large brown eyes of the miko…_damn it. _This had been happening to Sesshomaru more and more often. Kagome would interfere in his mind, and he would try as hard as he could to think about anything _but_ her.

He wasn't just frustrated by the thoughts, but by himself for becoming so vulnerable. He was the greatest youkai to ever live, and he was being brought down by a mere _human_ woman. Had he inherited the same trait from his father? This gave him another reason to resent Inu No Taisho.

Thoughts of Kagome began to flood his mind once more. The way she always spoke with kindness, the interesting way she moved her body, the way she smelled of sweet flowers…it was as if he could smell her scent right now. Wait…

Sesshomaru sniffed the air…_he could_. It was very faint, but there was no mistaking it. It was Kagome's scent.

Sesshomaru's eyes surveyed the land again, this time, searching for Kagome. She wasn't in the plain land or the forest…the wind carried her scent from the side of the mountain. Sesshomaru scaled the mountain side as the breeze blew against his face and body, his hair flowing out behind him. He spotted her far away by the river side, with her companion, Sango. It wasn't too surprising that they were around, since the mountain he had been residing in was close to Kaede's village. But they'd gone higher upstream than where the village was, which was odd.

Sesshomaru decided to observe them for a moment. He saw that Kagome carried her bow and arrows on her back; which pleased him. After having protected her twice, he was glad to see she wasn't defenseless this time.

Meanwhile...

"Though I do want to bathe, I also just wanted some time alone with you to talk," Sango told Kagome as they neared the river side. They had headed further up the river to avoid being seen by the villagers; or Miroku.

Kagome knew where this was heading. "You're going to ask me about Sesshomaru, aren't you?" She suspected with a grin.

"Well…yeah," Sango laughed, and began untying her robes. "That, and what's going on with Inuyasha," She said.

"I don't even know where to begin," Kagome took off the arrow sling, and placed her bow down on the ground. Kagome then explained everything Sango had missed about her and Inuyasha. How he'd kissed her, how she'd told him she'd move on, the argument they had after she, Miroku, and Shippo had left.

"So Inuyasha chooses Kikyo, but is upset because he thinks Sesshomaru might have feelings for you?" Sango's head was spinning. Oh, the drama.

"Basically, yeah," Kagome pulled off her white and green school top, revealing her light pink bra underneath. She folded her shirt and placed it on the ground.

Meanwhile...

Sesshomaru turned away and went back into the cave. He was not the type to spy on bathing women, though seeing Kagome pull off her shirt was something that was very difficult for him to pull his eyes away from. He was glad there had been some sort of odd contraption covering her breasts, or it would have been much more difficult. He found this odd. One of Naraku's incarnations, Kagura, had once been completely topless in front of him when she had fallen injured. The wound had regenerated because she couldn't die, but Kagura didn't hide her exposed chest from him, Rin, and Jaken. And Sesshomaru hadn't given it a second thought after he'd left. But Kagome's breasts hadn't even been fully exposed, and he was finding it difficult to properly function. He was starting to think she was more of a spell-casting sorceress rather than a miko…

Meanwhile...

"Well, let's say hypothetically Sesshomaru does have feelings for you. How would you feel about that?" Sango dropped her robe and waded into the water. Kagome unhooked her bra, unzipped her skirt, and pulled off her panties, and followed Sango into the cool water.

"Well…I guess that would kind of make me happy," Kagome told Sango shyly.

Sango gasped, her hands covering her mouth. "Do you have feelings for _him_?"

"Well…"

"Well what?"

"I-I'm not sure…maybe…"

"Oh my gosh! You do! You have feelings for Sesshomaru!" She practically yelled, and Kagome dunked Sango's head under the water for a second. Sango laughed as she came back up from the water.

"Don't say that so loud!" Kagome hissed, though she knew no one was around to hear it. She just felt embarrassed.

"This is the very last thing I'd ever expect!" Sango exclaimed. So after all those encounters she had with Sesshomaru, Kagome was starting to develop feelings for him. For Inuyasha's brother! Who would have thought. Sango mind was definitely blown. It was just so unexpected. "Do you think Inuyasha was right?"

"I mean, it might be possible…but he's so hard to read, you know?" It was like trying to figure out the mass of the moon just by looking at it.

"Yeah, Sesshomaru seems very withdrawn. Inuyasha is always an open book, but Sesshomaru isn't like that at all. But then again, he wouldn't bother with you if he didn't take some sort of a liking to you,"

Kagome rinsed out her hair in the flowing water, thinking about the last sentence Sango said. Sesshomaru definitely didn't set up encounters with other people, but he had met with her often over the past month. "Sango, be honest with me. Do you think I should stop these feelings before they grow any further?"

Sango sent her a sincere smile. "No, I don't think you should. It's the first time I haven't seen you be miserable over Inuyasha. I think you should be careful, but I say you should see where these feelings lead you,"

This felt very encouraging to hear. Kagome didn't realize how much she needed to talk about this with someone; it felt good to get some feedback.

"Plus, he's kind of…" Sango paused, and blushed a little.

"…sexy?" Kagome finished her thought, and they both started giggling.

* * *

The next morning, Kagome had gotten ready for the day and headed out for the well. She was honest with Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, and Shippo and told them that she was going back with Sesshomaru. Sango grinned, Miroku and Shippo looked neutral, and Inuyasha had his arms crossed and was silent.

Sesshomaru waited by the edge of the well, already hearing Kagome's footsteps grow close. She appeared from behind the forest trees, smiling at him. Sesshomaru couldn't help but look away. He felt guilty after witnessing her beginning to strip yesterday, even though she had no idea he had even been there. _This is no time to be thinking about that, _he thought to himself firmly.

"Be on your guard, in case the future has changed," Sesshomaru told her. Kagome pulled her bow off of her back, and kept it gripped in her hand.

"Okay, let's go," Kagome was about to jump in, but Sesshomaru reached out his arm and stopped her.

"This Sesshomaru will go first," He told her. If the world had changed, he should arrive there first to protect Kagome from harm.

Kagome stepped back, and Sesshomaru jumped down into the well. A flash of light followed after he disappeared. Kagome looked down into the well. _Please don't let anything change. _She jumped into the well also, leaving the feudal era to reappear in the future.

* * *

**This story has reached over 100 follows! Whoo! Happy happy dance! That means 100 of you readers should be reviewing, my loves! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Discovery

Kagome appeared from the depths of the well, and the first thing she saw was Sesshomaru's backside. The room that had always held the well in the middle was the same as always. But that didn't mean it wasn't changed outside of the wooden walls. Instinctively Kagome drew an arrow from behind her shoulder and readied her bow, positioning the arrow loosely in the bow string. Sesshomaru looked behind his shoulder at Kagome, and was pleased she was taking precaution. He stepped up the small set of stairs and pushed open the door to the shrine, and stepped out into the world before him.

Everything appeared normal, like the first time he had visited the world. The same house that Kagome and her family stayed in was still there, exactly as it was. The air still held polluted gasses, and the strange sounds reached his ears.

Kagome let out her breath in relief. She couldn't even imagine what she would have done if the world she knew had been changed. Kagome turned to Sesshomaru and smiled.

"Whew, that's good, ri-"

"Wait,"

Kagome's smile turned downward as she watched the seriousness of Sesshomaru's expression grow. The wind had carried a new scent to Sesshomaru's nose. It was definitely…

Without a warning, Sesshomaru swept Kagome into his arms. She squeaked out in surprise, but Sesshomaru did not waste a moment. He followed the scent with Kagome in his arms at blinding speed. They traveled down the concrete roads and passed those things Kagome had called "cars", heading closer and closer into the heart of the city. Sesshomaru stopped and landed when he saw that there were masses of humans making their way through the streets of the city. But for some reason, no one was really taking notice of them, even though it was obvious that Sesshomaru and Kagome had appeared from the sky.

Sesshomaru set Kagome down.

"This Sesshomaru senses a youkai presence," He told her, and Kagome took a second to absorb this information. A youkai presence?

The youkai was somewhere in the crowd of people, Sesshomaru was sure. But the scent seemed to be coming from every direction now, and it was difficult to locate the youkai…as if there were more than one…then Sesshomaru noticed that there was a woman passing by them that had a long reptile like tail and green scales covering her skin. She was obviously a youkai, and yet the humans did not seem alarmed…and then there was another demon with cat like ears over there…and even another that had wings on their back and sharp claws…and they were all dressed in the same strange clothing as the humans. Another thing Sesshomaru noticed was that most of the youkai also smelled mixed…like his brother's blood. Half demons. He glanced down at Kagome, who was staring open mouthed at the passing youkai. One of the youkai with pointed ears and a pixie-like chin stared back at her, annoyed.

"Do you have a problem?" The female youkai grunted as she passed by, not intending an actual answer.

"The youkai…coexist with the humans," Sesshomaru observed. How unexpected. Before, Sesshomaru had thought that youkai existing in the modern era was something he should be glad about, despite Kagome wishing her world would stay the same. But now that he discovered that they now were in the modern era, he was not glad. These were not true youkai. They were hanyou. And they acted more like humans than youkai.

Youkai…lived among humans? And it was _normal_? Kagome's mind was reeling. This just was so weird! The future she knew was strictly a world of humans. On closer observation, Kagome had to address that the youkai here weren't attacking anyone. They were walking around like any other human. How could this be? Back in the feudal era, it wasn't like this at all…some youkai were human like, however, most preferred to live near their own kind, away from humans. Many even despised humans.

Kagome thought back. Sesshomaru used to be one of those youkai. The kind that hated humans. But now, Kagome just couldn't believe that to be true, even if Sesshomaru still claimed he did. Kagome knew he looked after Rin. And now, he had been spending so much time with her, and Sesshomaru didn't seem to mind it. In fact, it kind of seemed like he liked being around her. Why else would he have met with her so often?

The inside of Kagome's chest grew warmer.

"I should go see how my family is," Kagome told Sesshomaru, and waited to see if he would take her back to her house.

Without speaking, Sesshomaru picked her up again and took her back to her home. Kagome opened the door and was about to go inside, when she realized that her family had never met Sesshomaru before. She hesitated in the doorway. They had encountered Inuyasha several times, but how was she going to explain it to her mom that she was no longer interested in Inuyasha? And that it was his brother that she'd been spending her time with lately?

"Oh, Kagome!" A voice called from inside the house. Kagome turned around. Her grandfather was sitting at the dinner table and eating a bowl of noodles, grinning. His grey hair was pulled back into a short ponytail as usual, and there were beads of broth in his whiskers. Souta and Kagome's mother were both at the table as well.

"Is that Inuyasha?" Souta inquired, trying to look around Kagome to see if it was, but she blocked too much of his vision.

Crap. It was too late to turn back now. "No, it's not Inuyasha…um, actually, it's his brother, Sesshomaru,"

"Oh?" Kagome's mother covered her mouth with her hand in surprise.

Sesshomaru didn't know what to do. Part of him just wanted to leave and go back to the feudal era. These people were Kagome's relatives, and he felt reluctant to meet any humans he didn't have interest in. He didn't think that he, a youkai, should be mingling with just any human. The only two he made an exception for was Rin and Kagome. And Kagome's acceptance was still a mystery to him.

Kagome looked over her shoulder at Sesshomaru, who of course, didn't show much of an expression. But his eyes communicated that he was unenthusiastic about meeting her family.

"Well, are we going to meet him or not?" Her grandfather asked impatiently, attempting to see past Kagome like Souta and Kagome's mother.

Kagome felt like a deer in the headlights. She could tell that Sesshomaru didn't want to meet anyone new, but her family wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily. To Kagome's surprise, Sesshomaru came up next to her, revealing himself to the table of people inside.

"So you're Inuyasha's brother? I don't see much of a resemblance, except for the white hair and gold eyes," Souta noted, and slurped up more noodles.

"You sure are a scary looking fella!" Kagome's grandfather chimed in.

"Dad," Kagome's mother snapped quickly, shooting him a glare.

Sesshomaru stared back at them, blankly. Kagome nudged him a little with her elbow, and that seemed to get him to realize that Kagome wanted him to say something.

"…" Everything Sesshomaru could think of to say was just something we _wouldn't _say. He never had casual conversations with people. Not even with Rin. The first time he'd had a casual conversation was with Kagome, but he didn't have to think about it then. It had just come so naturally to him…so simple.

"Not very chatty, eh?" The grandpa squinted his eyes at Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru isn't one for talking, forgive him," Kagome cut in for him. "But actually, were here because there's youkai here now, are you all aware of that?"

"Youkai have been living among us for hundreds of years! Are you sick or something?"Souta said, unaware of what was going on in Kagome's mind.

Kagome sent a private glance to Sesshomaru. But for some reason, Sesshomaru didn't seem to give off any sort of indication that he was paying attention. Maybe he was just thinking? Oh well, there were other things to be addressed.

An event was altered somewhere in the past, the future had changed. It seemed to Kagome's family that this change was not a change, but had always been.

"Are there any youkai that attack humans?" Kagome asked, unsure of what to think of this changed world of hers.

"What do you mean? Like criminals? Sure, but there's tons of humans that are criminals too. I don't understand what you mean by attack, though," Grandpa responded.

This meant that there weren't any mindless youkai anymore. No weak, havoc reaping youkai that harmed humans and destroyed homes. There were only intelligent youkai that were human-like rather than beast-like.

"I see," This was a lot of information to absorb. Though the change wasn't necessarily bad, Kagome missed the familiarity of the 21st century that she used to know. This new fate was different and strange.

Sesshomaru sensed Kagome's feelings of distraught. He wanted to tell her it was okay, but he would say no such thing in front of these other people.

"So do you and Inuyasha get along?" Kagome's mother asked.

"…" Though Sesshomaru didn't say anything, Kagome saw a vein begin to pop out of his forehead.

"No, they don't really get along all that well…ha, ha…" Kagome tried to ease the tension.

"Where is Inuyasha, anyway?" Souta asked curiously.

Kagome brushed her fingers through her dark hair nervously. Her mom knew how deep her feelings had been for Inuyasha, and she hadn't told her that she wasn't going to wait on Inuyasha anymore. And it would be weird to tell her that she was kind of starting to like Sesshomaru…

Kagome's mom seemed to catch on, seeming to know that her daughter wasn't wanting to talk about Inuyasha right now. "We can talk about that later, why don't you both sit down and eat with us?"

"I must be going now," Sesshomaru stated abruptly, and started to leave. Kagome's family seemed to become bewildered, looking to Kagome to explain to them his attitude.

"Er, I'll be back later, okay? Sorry!" Kagome scrambled to follow Sesshomaru back to the well.

"He sure is rude!" Kagome heard her Grandfather say as they left the premises of the Higurashi house. She felt slightly embarrassed by his impoliteness to her family, but she knew Sesshomaru didn't have much contact with humans, or even other youkai. He isolated himself from everyone, so it was no surprise that he wasn't at all chatty with her family.

"Sesshomaru, where are you going?" Kagome tugged on the back of Sesshomaru's sleeve stopping him momentarily.

He didn't turn his head to look at her. "Back to the feudal era,"

Well, obviously, Kagome thought. But she didn't know why Sesshomaru seemed upset. Like he didn't want to be here at all. Sesshomaru yanked his sleeve out from her grip, and continued onward.

"Sessho…" Her voice seemed to fade from her throat. She stood there, confused and saddened, while Sesshomaru's backside grew further away from her. He reached the door to the well and swiftly opened it, closing it firmly behind him.

Was that his way of telling her not to follow him? Kagome's chest began to feel tight, and a lump formed in her throat. What the hell is his problem? And why was she staring to cry!? She desperately wanted to hit something, but she controlled herself. Why was he acting like such a jerk all of the sudden? Was it her family? Was it the youkai existing here? She didn't just didn't understand it.

She stared hard at the door to the shrine for a few minutes, contemplating whether or not she should follow Sesshomaru anyway or just stay here for a little while. A few upset tears strayed from her eyes, but she wiped them away hurriedly with her sleeve.

_If I stay here, the only thing I'll be thinking about is why Sesshomaru acted that way, so there's no use waiting here. I don't care if you don't want me to follow to, I'm going to _make _you tell me what your problem is! _With her mind made up, Kagome marched over to the shrine with her head held high, and dove into the well.

* * *

**I'm so. So. So. Sorry! I know it's been like a whole month and a half. But I've been going through a really, really hard break up with my now-ex of three and a half years, so every time I tried writing, I just wound up getting too depressed and closed my laptop. So yeah, please be patient with me.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Barricade

Alone. Pure solitude, without a single distraction. That is what Sesshomaru desperately wished for when he returned to the feudal era. He didn't return to the cave he'd been living in with Rin and Jaken. Instead, he went to a place he himself didn't even expect himself to go. To his very own palace, built on the heights of the frosty western mountains, which was miles and miles away from any sort of civilization. It was built for him eight hundred and fifty years ago, as a gift from his mother when he came of age to move out on his own. However, Sesshomaru had never once stayed in it because he hated accepting anything that wasn't truly his own. But he stood before it now in the two inches of snow that never seemed to melt on the mountain peak, observing the current condition of structure. After eight hundred and fifty years of vacancy, it seemed to be held together quite well. A random memory flashed through Sesshomaru's mind, of his mother on the day she showed him the newly constructed palace. She had said that it was made with the strongest metals and insulated with carved youkai bone, so it would take thousands of years to decay.

Sesshomaru stepped forward, hearing the snow crunch beneath his feet as he made for the oversized doors of his fortress. The paint was a very faded blue, and the door handles were a dulled silver. He pulled the handle gently, and the door was stubborn to open after being immobile for so long. He pulled firmly and the door submitted to his strength, and creaked open loudly. Sesshomaru peered inside. The air was chilly but silent, and the foyer alone was the size of a normal castle's entertainment room. Sesshomaru was pleased, suddenly feeling grateful for the gift he rejected hundreds of years prior. He would now accept this as his castle, and reside here, he decided. As he continued through the palace, the size of the rooms kept growing in size. On the lower level, he discovered the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, an entire bathhouse (hot spring water), two restrooms, a library room, and a reception hall. There was a grand staircase which lead to the upper floor, which consisted of eight guest bedrooms (which Sesshomaru thought his mother added as a joke to mock his contempt for others), three bathrooms, and of course, the master bedroom. There was also a stone courtyard outside of the palace. The furnishings placed in the castle were too aged to use now, but that was fine with Sesshomaru. He would appoint Jaken to throw out all the old furnishings and then he would acquire new ones before long.

Now that he was alone, he sat with his back against the door to the master bedroom, and the thoughts crept in. "Damn it," Sesshomaru growled out loud, and pounded his fist on the floor. Sesshomaru knew he had been avoiding the truth, but he hated to admit to himself that he cared for Kagome…in a romantic way. The very idea felt foreign and strange, but Sesshomaru was certain that he was developing romantic interest in her. But after what he'd found out earlier, he needed to make those feelings disappear. The fate of the future had changed, and eventually…the youkai would degrade their own blood by mating with humans. The idea of it sickened him. The fact that he'd let himself grow to care for Kagome was a problem, especially after realizing how vulnerable the youkai become with the humans. He would actually be _contributing_ to the defiling of youkai blood by letting himself care for humankind; for Kagome. That was why he had to push Kagome away. He could not let her sway his feelings any further. He would _not _fall in love with Kagome. No matter how adorable she always seemed to be, no matter how enticing she looked without a shirt, no matter how kindhearted and caring she was, he would _not _fall in love with her.

Sesshomaru waited within the new-found comfort of his palace for a few more hours to mull over his decision to cut Kagome out of his life, before deciding to gather Jaken to do the labor for the remodel of the castle interior.

* * *

Kagome had been searching for Sesshomaru, but she couldn't seem to find him anywhere. In fact, she didn't know where he had been staying in the first place. How was it he always seemed to know where she was, but she had no clue where he was? Must be a youkai thing. Or maybe Sesshomaru was secretly a creeper.

During the time she spent looking for him, she tried to analyze why he acted the way he did. She just didn't understand his sudden mood swing; he seemed his usual silent, arrogant self before they discovered that youkai existed. Shouldn't be have been glad that the fate of youkai changed, and in a good way? No mindless, vicious youkai, but ones with conscious human-like judgment. Isn't that a good thing?

Inuyasha would really be a big help in finding Sesshomaru, but Kagome knew the hanyou would never help her with such a request; unless it involved finding Sesshomaru in order to fight him. So Kagome wandered alongside the river, so that she would not lose her way, and most people lived near a source of water.

Merely thirty minutes later, Kagome came by a stroke of luck.

"Kagome-san!"

Kagome looked up and saw Rin by the riverside, with her orange kimono sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and two wriggling fish by her feet. "Rin-chan?" Kagome jogged the rest of the way up to the little girl.

Kagome surveyed the proximity, but no one else seemed to be around. "What are you doing out here all by yourself?"

"I got hungry, so I came down from the mountain cave to catch some fish to roast. Don't tell Sesshomaru-sama though, he doesn't think it's safe when I leave the cave without Jaken to help me." Rin pointed to the mountain. Kagome looked up, observing the rocky, jagged mountain. That's where Sesshomaru had been living? It looked dangerous for Rin to climb down on her own.

"You came down here by yourself?" Kagome became genuinely concerned for Rin's safety. A girl her age definitely shouldn't be alone out here.

"Only this one time, Jaken usually always comes with me when Sesshomaru-sama isn't around, but this time Sesshomaru-sama needed Jaken's help. Were moving to a castle!" Rin giggled.

"A castle?" Kagome repeated, confused.

"Yep, that's what Jaken said. It's Sesshomaru-sama's palace, it's very big,"

Kagome had to digest this information. Sesshomaru lived in this mountain's cave, and now he was moving to a castle?

Another thing then began to stir in her mind. This same area of the river, which was by the same mountain Sesshomaru had been staying in…oh! Suddenly her face felt like it was on fire, she must have grown eight shades of red.

Rin's innocent smile faded and a confused look crossed her face as she witnessed Kagome's abrupt expression change. "Kagome-san? Are you okay?"

"He…I…" Unable to answer, Kagome covered her mouth with her hand in mortifying shock. With Sesshomaru's unparalleled senses, he most likely picked up on her scent right before she went bathing...her coloring deepened another two shades, if it was even possible.

"That…! That pervert!" Kagome yelled, forgetting for a moment that Rin was standing beside her. Rin stared at Kagome awkwardly.

"Pervert?" Rin cocked her head to the side. Kagome realized that Rin probably just a bit underage to know of such things, so Kagome breathed in and out deeply in order to calm herself down before she spouted off again.

"I'm sorry, I just um, thought of something that made me upset, ha, ha, ha, ha…"

Rin didn't seem to care one way or the other; she just kind of smiled and nodded her head. Kagome cleared her throat and changed the subject.

"Rin-chan, do you know where the castle is?"

Rin put a finger to her lip as she thought. "Jaken said it's far away in the western mountains, but I haven't been there yet. That's why Sesshomaru-sama needed Jaken, because he's making Jaken fix up the inside of the palace. I get to go stay there when it's finished," Rin then look up at Kagome curiously. "Why do you need to know where it is?"

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain, but I really need to talk to Sesshomaru. He owes me an explanation," Kagome tried to not sounded bitter, but it showed through none the less.

"Are you who Sesshomaru goes to see all the time?" Rin asked.

That took Kagome by surprise. "I suppose so,"

Rin's smile grew into a huge, wide grin, but didn't say anything.

"What?"

Rin just shook her head, with that big smile plastered to her face. "I should probably get back to the cave now, bye Kagome-san!" She scooped up the two fish she'd caught and scurried toward the mountainside.

_What was that about? _Though Kagome couldn't really say much after what she'd blurted out in front of Rin earlier. Kagome stayed and watched to make sure Rin didn't get hurt while climbing the mountain side. That girl was a little monkey; she didn't slip even once.

_A castle out in the far west mountains, hm? Sesshomaru never said a word about moving. Then again, I guess we never talked about where he had currently lived either. But when I find Sesshomaru, I will definitely confront him about the bathing incident! But first, I have to find this palace he's moving to…and God only knows how far away it is. _

* * *

Everything was beginning to come together nicely, Sesshomaru thought. It had been three days since he first came to the palace, and the interior remodel was nearly finished. Jaken was sent off with Ah-Un to go fetch Rin, so Sesshomaru had the castle to himself. Sesshomaru didn't care much for decoration, but Jaken had a…strange knack for it. He picked out a color scheme of black and white, with golden accents. The walls were lined with torches that lit and warmed every hallway and room, and every area was pleasant to be in. The master bedroom was the most luxurious. There was a very large bed, made in the same modern fashion Sesshomaru had seen in Kagome's room, covered with a black comforter that had detailing across it and a white see-through canopy over the bed for privacy. On the far left side of the wall, there was a sliding door that led to a large terrace that overlooked the land for miles.

Sesshomaru laid on the bed for the first time, and he felt instant gratification as the bed molded to his build. Wow. This was the most comfortable thing he had ever laid on in his one thousand years. But not even the soothing comfort of the bed could distract him from his thoughts of Kagome. Though he had made the decision to cut himself away from her, he didn't want to. This made the situation all the more dire. How could he let himself develop interest in her in the first place? She was _human_. And he'd always considered youkai-human relations to be an abomination, since the human race was weak in both physical strength and mental will. But Kagome was different from other humans. She was clumsy, yes, and she wasn't the smartest of the bunch, but she was strong enough for Naraku to fear her spiritual powers and her mental will never wavered. She saw the best in everyone, and always seemed hopeful almost to the point of naivety.

Sesshomaru tried not to dig his claws into the brand new comforter, as not to rip it apart. He grew more and more frustrated every minute he thought about her. He didn't want to think about her unless he could have her. _And I will never allow myself to have her_. He vowed silently.

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**Oh Sesshy, how cute are youuuuu OH READ ME! If you guys want, feel free to follow me on Twitter thespaceygirl mkayyy? I'll follow back :)**


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